The original Hampton Court Half Marathon celebrated its 13th year on Sunday, 15th February 2026. Now managed by River Thames Running as part of the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers Race Series, this is one of South West London’s major running events and is highly rated as excellent preparation for a Spring marathon, or as a major distance race in its own right.

River Thames Running was started in 2024 by the experienced RUN-FEST team to manage a group of River Thameside events, including the Kingston Break-Fest Runs on 8 March; the Kingston Half Marathon and 10K on 4 October; and the River Thames Half on 26 October 2026.

The original Hampton Court Half Marathon, starting and finishing in Thames Ditton, is flat, fast and scenic, as it runs along the riverside grounds of Hampton Court Palace. King Henry VIII and his Tudor-dressed entourage always turn out to cheer everyone on!

With 1,498 finishers in 3:16:39, that's a lot of cheering! And with the weather described on the race website as "the worst conditions in the world", that support was most welcome.

Splashing through the incessant rain at the front were the top three: Seyfu Jamaal (1:05:25), Alexander Miell-Ingram (1:09:39), and Mohammed Elbayan (1:11:01) as the first nine men went under 75 minutes.

Sarah Holt was a commanding winner of the women's title in 1:16:24 – the fastest W45 time this year – ahead of fellow W45 masters Amy Dixon (1:23:32) and Teresa Murphy (1:27:41). The leading 150 runners finished in 90 minutes.

River Thames Running says there is only one better way to enjoy the River Thames than running it, and that's by boat. The race sponsor's Uber Boat by Thames Clippers visits 24 piers along the Thames from Barking Riverside in the East to Putney Pier in the West.

For more information, visit the River Thames Running website here.

Results are available via the runABC South race listing here.

Photo of 2026 Hampton Court Half Marathon medal courtesy of River Thames Running