A huge event with some congestion and bottleneck issues along the course (especially the beginning). Before the race it was a cacophony of competing PA systems all shouting at you; whilst at the finish, the amount of street food trucks, music and shops gave it a mini festival vibe. Excellent support all the way round and the water points worked very smoothly. The course is twisty and mostly flat, but well signposted.

PLEASE don’t allow those Clapham “running influencers” back at HH again - aka James Warnock, Alex Brown, Lucy whateverhersurnameis. They represent the opposite of what HH is; community. They run to promote themselves despite any desperate attempts to convince other young, impressionable people otherwise. The worst one didn’t seem to be there (MMcC), but please save of us all from this ridiculous spectacle next year.

This was my third year of running the Hackney Half Marathon and it is truly a great event. Fantastic support and music all the way round – like a gigantic running street party of 20,000 people - and a huge collective effervescence at the start and finish sustained by the announcers and warmup leaders. I just have three negative points: (1) General entries for the 2026 event sold out almost instantaneously after the 2025 one and the organisers had not done a good job of advertising where and when people needed to go online to get their first-come-first-served tickets. Next year I hope they will move to a ballot system, which is much fairer when demand greatly exceeds supply. (2) I do not think that offering 'premium' entries for £150 (+ £9.75 fee) is compatible with the event's ethos of 'inclusivity', since it gives the privileges of 'private toilets, secure bag drop, dedicated changing area, and post-race food and drink' exclusively to those who can afford it, and providing these privileges diverts volunteers' resources from making sure that the basic facilities for all runners are provided properly. (3) The event also advertises itself as 'sustainable' but as another commenter has said this is just plain incompatible with having an airline as its main sponsor. Additionally if the organisers are serious about sustainability then it would be good to move from metal finishers' medals to ones made of wood, which I have seen done very nicely at other events. Despite these points I would strongly recommend the event – general entries may be sold out for 2026 but there are plenty of charity places.

This was my fifth Hackney Half and probably the best organised yet. The water stations were a good length and sensibly placed around the course. The atmosphere was sensational, apart from a few bits in more residential areas, the support was 10/10 all along the route. The post-event funnel exit could be better managed as there were lots of well wishers blocking the route out, once you'd grabbed your water and medal. The course felt overly congested at times, moreso than in previous years. Running five abreast would block faster runners; I witnessed several barges on course as a result of runners being frustrated at being blocked. I felt that runner etiquette was not as well observed either, with several participants cutting in aggressively in the starting pens. Many walkers I encountered didn't seem to recognise the pace they were going at was causing issues for those around them. I'm all for walking, but please stand to the left!! And the aforementioned groups of runners. Yes it's a community event, but a little awareness of other participants wouldn't go amiss. These are minor issues in the grand scheme. Fab event, recommended (if you can get a place!)

I love the Hackney Half — so much so that I've run it half a dozen times to date. The course is nice and flat and the crowds are super energetic. There were plenty of water stations dotted throughout the course and complimentary drinks and snacks at the finish, to say nothing of the great medal and finisher's t-shirt (the latter of which is provided in advance of the race). The bag drop is always easy and efficient. But the popularity of the race can have its pitfalls: The festival village is a bit of a nightmare to navigate due to all the congestion and the toilet queues are notoriously long (I make a habit of avoiding them altogether). I opted to travel to Hackney Marshes via Lime Bike this year and had to redirect to another parking area after the first one was deemed too full. Fortunately for me I was able to end my ride, but others faced signal issues that prevented them from doing so (they were assured the would get refunds). Still, any negatives are overwhelmingly outshined by the positives, which is why so many of us rush to purchase our tickets for next year's race the moment they become available. However, one can't help but notice that the prices are getting prohibitively expensive — general entry now costs upwards of £70, making it more expensive than other comparable races and even some marathons! If they're going to charge a premium for the race, they'll need to offer an experience to match.

Loved the whole thing from booking to finishing. I was in the third group, pen ‘F’ and finished in 2 hrs 3 mins. Was luck with the weather being cool for 2025. My five highlights along with some recommendations: 👍 Electric vibes and energy from the start, during the race and on the finish. The crowds are brilliant and buzzing all the way! 👍 The course is perfect for beginners, mainly flat with a few quick inclines and lots of downhill stints for active recovery 👍 Bag drop was super easy both in and out; both ways took less than 3 mins 👍 Nice medals and freebies including a can of water, which feels amazing after the run, and some free nibbles. I don’t fuel during the race so grateful to receive this after 👍 Water stations are plenty and even the crowd hand out sweets. Although I didn’t partake it was still nice to see I have no complaints as such, but these are just things worth being aware of 🛑 It gets very crowded, especially after the race. No amount porta loos can change this, so I would suggest using the toilet earlier if possible 🛑 I personally could do without so much shouting on the stage, but I get it, and I’m sure many enjoy this vibe… just not my favourite part of the whole thing 🛑 Tickets are gone within minutes and usually sold out by 1.30pm the day after. If you want a place in the race you need to have your browser at the ready and make sure you don’t refresh once in the queue. You must purchase your race ticket a year in advance, no exceptions. Tickets usually go on sale for next year’s race the very next day. 🛑 Plan your journey carefully and allow plenty of time (especially if West Ham are playing at home on race day!!!). Many streets are obviously closed and this has a knock on effect on other modes of transport. Tell your supporters to do the same. If you’re travelling from far, consider a hotel or AirBnB. Even bike hire schemes limit where you can hire/ride 🛑 Download the app and tell your supporters to do the same as it allows them to track where you are, approximately.

Really enjoyed running this for years now but for the first time we three runners in our group (registered individually) have not received our chip time over 24hrs after the race. This is disappointing. Without any snacks post run, water during event, tshirt or now timely chip time seems emphasis really is the paid entry. Feels like the community event has suffered cost of living crisis....