Winchester Half Marathon

• Please download our 2023 Winchester Half Participant Information Pack
  
  DownloadParticipant Information
  ‍

• The Winchester Half Marathon is a very scenic route through the idyllic setting of the countryside that takes in landmarks such as St Catherine’s Hill, Winchester Cathedral and King Alfred the Great.
  
  For more route information, you can access the full official routes on Strava!
  
  Half Marathon -
  
  https://www.strava.com/routes/2726094827690632274 ‍

The race village is within the city and outside Winchester Guildhall, head towards here to get ready to race!

What time does the race start?

The Half Marathon Race will start at 09:00am.

• We recommend you aim to be on site at least 1 hour before the official start time.
  
  There will be queues for parking and toilets, so it is best to be prepared! We also have interactive areas in our race village, an exciting day lies ahead!

• The races will start at 09:00am sharp.
  
  We advise you aim to be in the Start area a minimum of 1 hour prior to the start. Also plan to have an extra 30 minutes to your normal journey time due to road closures.
  
  Once the last runner from the timing pens crosses the start line that is it, as we have to get the roads re-opened quickly.

• The nearest train station is Winchester Station. Please check in advance with South West Trains before travelling and for updates on any rail works etc. Walking from the station is 0.7miles from the race village area (approximately 15 minutes).
  
  I want to travel by public transport, how do I do that?
  
  There will be some bus and train routes running please check with local operators here:
  http://www.bluestarbus.co.uk/
  https://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/contact/local-travel-information/
  https://www.southwesternrailway.com/
  https://www.stagecoachbus.com/regional-service-updates/south/winchester

• There are many car parks in and around Winchester.
  
  Please see https://www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/parking-and-car-parks for more information.

• If you are not competing for a podium place then you are allowed to wear earphones. If however, you are aiming to be one of the fastest runners in your event then the Race Rules (UKA and BARR) do not allow the use of earphones and you may be disqualified.
  
  It is VITAL to note that while this is a closed roads race, we strongly recommend that you have 1 earbud out at all times so that you can hear the marshal directions, as well as awareness of other runners around you.

• If you volunteer to marshal at the event instead we will postpone your entry to next year! If you are interested in volunteering please get in touch with contact@challenging.events
  
  Otherwise, contact us as soon as possible and we will help in whichever way we can.

• Please ensure that you have updated all your medical information on your registration form.
  
  Please contact us on contact@challenging.events if this is something we need to be aware of before race day.
  
  On event day our medical team will be on site to deal with any issues!

• We will have a bag drop available in the race village.

• We will have pacers and they will be wearing a bright coloured t-shirt with the time on so you won't miss them!

• There will be 4 Water Stations on the Half Marathon route.
  
  These will be located as follows:
  Water Station 1= Sarum Road (at the end by the big tree!)
  Water Station 2= Kings Head Pub Car Park, Hursley
  Water Station 3= Oliver’s Battery Shops
  Water Station 4= Garnier Road Car Park
  
  There will be water served on the stations, with only one station serving gels - should you require extra, please bring any gels, nutrition or sports drinks with you.

• There are lots of toilets located around the Race Village area.
  
  There will be further toilets around the course at every water stop.
  
  There are no showering facilities available on the route.