Half marathon choices

[Malteasersarered]

Can anyone recommend a half marathon to me. I just started couch to 5k so I'm hoping I'll be half marathon ready by about Feb/March 2024.

I'm looking for:

• a spring half marathon. March would be ideal.
• thousands of runners so I won't be miles behind everyone else (when I used to run my fastest time was still only 3 hours 15 so I'm a slow runner).
• not too many uphills
• pretty or interesting location
• happy to travel from the North of England but not in the very South of the country.
• preferably one where I don't need a charity place and can just get in by applying or by ballot (however, if this was a deal breaker I'd just have to try to find sponsorship).

Thanks for any recommendations.

Someone recommended Hampton Court half to me yesterday (in the loo queue for the Richmond run fest half!).

I think there are a couple there in March. And it will be by the Thames so flat and scenic. Not sure if that’s too far south for you, though

Great. Thanks. I'll take a look.

Ah looks like a strict 3 hour cut off for that run. Not sure if I'll be getting to those times by then. Looks like a fab run though.

Manchester great half marathon ajbell is that time of year? There is around 30k do it!

Hampton court is good, not the Runthrough one though, the “original.”
Cambridge half is big.
North lincs is fairly big and incredibly flat.
Milton Keynes half.
Blackpool is flat but windy. Has a marathon too and is On the same day as the London marathon and popular with ballot rejects.

London landmarks is the big one but I think entires for that are closed.

Oh and at the end of spring, Hackney and Chester are both big.

Great. Thanks. I'll look at these.

Great. I'll take a look

If you are not a runner atm (just inferring this from the C25k comment), could I recommend a 10k to start with?
Half marathon training is pretty hard work and I would say 6 months is ambitious from a standing start. There's plenty of fab 10ks around, some regular monthly ones (Regent's Park, Queen Elizabeth Stratford, Victoria park) and you may benefit from a mid point race before you jump into the half. Don't get me wrong, by all means sign up for a half ... I'm just saying Feb/March may be a stretch plus lots of long runs in winter which is cold and wet! Most interesting half maras will have a cut-off for road closures (eg Cambridge is in March) although Cambridge it is 3.30 so that may work out for you.

I'm not sure I really want to do a 10k unless it's just a local thing. Wouldn't want to travel too far for that kind of distance. I've done about 6 half marathons before but not since about 2014.

@Malteasersarered fair enough sounds like you are experienced in running half maras albeit a while ago.
Cambridge is a great course but it's pacy so watch out on that. Hackney is lovely but is in May. Dorney lake does a regular half and is very flat but you'll be on your own unless you are fast and I found it a bit depressing. Brighton half I've never done but everyone I know who has highly recommends it.
I still say training for a half over winter isn't that fun !

If you're from the north then Brass Monkey, which is in York, is a nice flat one.

North Lincolnshire is also meant to be a good pb course, but I've never tried it myself.

Another vote for the Hampton Court Palace one. Well organised, mostly very picturesque, very flat.

If you are anywhere near London and wanted to warm up with a 10km before a spring half marathon, the London Winter Run in February is great fun. Very light-hearted event.

Wilmslow is good. Pretty big, several thousand, around the Cheshire countryside. Usually sells out by January-ish. It’s usually last weekend in March. One hill but otherwise flat.

Manchester has two halves (!), the adidas one which is mid October and the AJ bell Great run which is mid May. Both are similar ish courses and flat.

Echoing pp though that spring might be a bit early if you’re on c25k now. I haven’t done a half since 2010, though never stopped running. I’m doing the Manchester half next month and it’s taken me 6 months of training and that has been just going from 10k to a half!

Brass monkey is very early in the year (second weekend in January isn’t it?) and the cut off is 2:30 or something isn’t it? Probably not one for the OP

I'm doing the London Landmarks in April. The ballot is closed but the fundraising for a charity place is only about £350. I reckon I can do that in a couple of bake sales. I signed up mostly because I thought it would be flat. I'm sick of 'gently undulating countryside'

Have a look on this page and see if any catch your eye - Leeds, Gateshead or East Yorkshire might be suitable. They are the company which organise the Hampton Court one in March, and they're very good - including being totally supportive of slower runners (they only have a time cut off when venue requires it). You can look at the results pages to see what sorts of times people finish in.

Northern UK Running Events | Run Through UK

You can also look up their Northern 10ks

I'm not a runner, DH is. He has done Wilmslow a couple of times that's in March and lots of people take part.

Thanks everyone

Edinburgh is fantastic, a very fast course, all downhill or flat

I'd say Edinburgh too. Nice and flat - end of May usually.

Bit later on in the year…May 12th 2024, it’s on the same day as the Rob Burrows full Marathon…the half is on part of the same route so no fear of standing out, you will get lost in the crowd. Was a great atmosphere this year, huge support

https://www.runforall.com/events/half-marathon/leeds-half-marathon/

Wokingham is March time; it's a fast flat course on some fairly scenic roads.
Reading is a big one- flat apart from 2 short hills. A stadium finish and tons of support on the route. It's mid-April 2024.

There’s one in Inverness in March (am considering it but partly because DSS lives up there!)