London Landmarks Half Marathon

Sapphire Running Team
Jul 20
5 min read

Updated: Aug 6

Unique in many ways the London Landmarks Half Marathon is owned by a UK charity

It's 13.1 of prime London landmarks, hence the name, and it really is one you shouldn't miss. Everywhere you look there's another famous building that you'll recognise and even better there are no hills. It's a big charity fundraising event as you'd expect and not just for the charity that owns it.

St. Paul's Cathedral framed by modern glass buildings reflecting its facade. Clear blue sky above. People walking in the foreground.

London

Detailing the attractions of London and why you should come here to run would take a whole website so the focus here is on the City of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.

It's one of the 32 boroughs of London and adjoins the City of London (known as the Square Mile) which this event also runs through, with its southern edge bordering the River Thames. It includes Soho, the West End and Covent Garden, all known to millions around the world. It's just over 8 square miles, so it's small enough to walk around comfortably in a day, but best to make it two days to take everything in and not just before the race. The World Heritage site of the Houses of Parliament is a great place to start, with Big Ben another iconic landmark next door. Parliament Square has a number of must see statues, with the riverside Victoria Tower Gardens home to the Buxton Memorial, marking the abolition of slavery. Westminster Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the resting place of more than 3,000 great Britons. It's a place that's touched the lives of kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers, poets, priests, heroes and villains since 960 AD. Don't miss Trafalgar Square and its famous Lions. If art is your thing the area has some world class galleries, including Tate Britain and the National Gallery.

The Royal Parks offer a relaxed space and a break from all the sightseeing. Once you've visited Buckingham Palace and seen the changing of the guard, head over the road to St James Park and up through the Green Park. Hyde Park is the biggest of them all at 350 acres, with Kensington Palace, home to the Prince and Princess of Wales easy to spot in Kensington Gardens. Are you really in the centre of London? When it's time for a refreshment break you'll be spoilt for choice. From Michelin star restaurants to traditional English pubs, Westminster has more than its fair share. Granted London isn't the cheapest city in the world but look closely and you'll find somewhere to suit your budget. The City of Westminster is a great place to visit. This is just a snapshot of what's on offer. You'll see much more on the course and will give you inspiration for exploring once your race is done.

History

Years in the making, the first event was held in 2018. There were 10,000 runners and it raised over £4 million for charity in the first year.

Race Organiser

The event is owned and organised by baby charity, Tommy's to benefit themselves and many other good causes, via LLHM Ltd. it is organised by the team behind the Great North Run.

When is the London Landmarks Half Marathon?

The race is held annually in April

Distances

Half Marathon

Is there an Expo?

Race bibs are posted prior to the event. There is no expo.

How many runners?

16,000

The course

Due to its size the event uses wave starts, beginning at 9.15am and for at least 90 minutes. Lots of runners will have finished their race before many others have started, which is common for big half marathons. The race starts on Pall Mall, one of London’s most popular streets and an area known for high-class shopping in the 18th century and gentlemen's clubs in the 19th. It's then past Nelson's Column and a couple of short out and backs south to the River Thames for a stretch along the Embankment, before passing the stunning St Paul's Cathedral at three and a half miles. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London, St Paul's Cathedral is one of London's most famous buildings. At 111 metres high, St Paul’s was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1963. Its dome remains the second largest cathedral dome in the world. The Royal Courts of Justice are at mile 5 and then it's back to St Paul's as the course twists and turns past the Bank of England and some of London's famous skyscrapers at this point and for the next two miles. The Leadenhall Building (the Cheesegrater), the Fenchurch Building (the Walkie Talkie) and 30 St. Mary Axe. (the Gherkin), all dominate the landscape on this section of the course. It's then out and back to the Tower of London, with superb views of Tower Bridge and The Shard. The latter is the tallest building in Western Europe. Its observation deck “The View from the Shard” is a massive 244 metres (800 ft) above ground.

From mile 10 to just past 12 it's west along the Embankment, an area packed full of landmarks. It's difficult to know where to look next! The South Bank, on the other side of the river, is a great place to visit. It's full of quirky eateries and is a perfect place to chill out after you're finished. The views at this part of the course are dominated by the London Eye. Opened to the public in 2000 the London Eye, is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the UK. 3 million visitors ride in one of the 32 pods each year. It's 135 metres (443 ft) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft) and the views of London's most famous sites are breathtaking!

It's then across the river on Westminster Bridge between the eye and St Thomas's Hospital, before coming back over the Bridge and heading for the finish on Whitehall by Downing Street. Downing Street is the home of the British Prime minister and while he might not be in the crowd watching the finish, many thousands will be. It's a wonderful place to finish your London Landmarks running odyssey and hopefully an inspiration to take on lots more running challenges.

Runners celebrate crossing the finish line at the London Landmarks Half Marathon. Bright pink outfits, balloons, and cheering spectators. — One of the many charity runners heads to the finish

What's unique?

It's the only half marathon to go through both the City of London and the City of Westminster.

Do charities benefit?

This is one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK and Europe. It is owned by a charity and it benefits many others. In the 2023 event £9 million was raised.

Text reads, "OFFICIAL CHARITY" and "Tommy's Together, for every baby" in pink on a white background, conveying a supportive mood.

Our verdict

This is a special event and one that packs in as many London landmarks as is possible, with significant crowd support along the way. With a focus on charitable giving and with many first timers taking part it really is everything that's great about running.

How to register

Online via the website. There is a ballot due to sheer numbers of applicants and this is closed and the successful entrants are drawn months before the event. If rejected from the ballot it is easy to get an entry from a partner charity in return for a pre-agreed amount of fundraising, normally around £350. However most charities also fill their spots so don't leave it too late.