A stellar list of British athletes will headline the elite fields at The Big Half this year, including Sir Mo Farah, who will return to the event for the first time since 2019. The multiple Olympic and world champion has won the race on two occasions (in 2018 and 2019) and hopes to be the first male athlete to win the event three times.
Charlotte Purdue also returns this year, having won the event for the third time in 2021 and set a new course record of 69:51 in the process. Joining Farah and Purdue is newly crowned 10,000m Commonwealth Games champion Eilish McColgan, who will make her debut after a hugely successful summer. See the elite men’s and women’s start lists here and read about the 2021 race here.
David Weir is the man to beat in the men’s wheelchair race, as the British wheelchair legend celebrates 10 years since winning two of his four London 2012 Paralympic gold medals. Fellow Brit Shelly Woods will also be hoping to regain her title after she missed out to Nikki Emerson last year following a puncture in the women’s wheelchair race. See the elite wheelchair start lists here.
Community groups
More than 3,000 runners from community groups based in the four host boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham and Greenwich will take on the 13.1-mile challenge, continuing the The Big Half’s aim of making running events accessible to runners from all backgrounds.
Our We Run As One campaign highlights the work of some of the community groups taking part this year. These groups have been working with us to engage and inspire activity in runners from a variety of backgrounds, included those who might not typically engage with running events. Community groups have included the Emancipated Run Crew, Black Girls Do Run UK and the Run Higher Collective. Read our We Run As One stories here.
Celebrity participants
Casualty actor George Rainsford, who plays Ethan Hardy in the BBC drama, will be among the famous faces taking on The Big Half this year. He will be joined by comedians Rob Deering and Helen Thorn – one half of comedy duo Scummy Mummies – as well as G-A-Y founder Jeremy Joseph.
Environmental sustainability
London Marathon Events is committed to ensuring we have a minimal impact on the environment. This year’s event offered participants the opportunity to opt-out of receiving a finisher’s medal and/or a finisher’s T-shirt. In partnership with the organisation Trees not Tees, those who have chosen not to receive a finisher’s medal and/or finisher’s T-shirt on completion of The Big Half will have a tree planted in their name.
We’ll also be offering participants Lucozade Sport in recyclable cups at the drinks stations along the course. Read more here.
