The first Cambridge Half Marathon to be headlined by new sponsors – the independent technology company TTP – proved to be a baptism of fire as temperatures soared and water stations ran short as 13,574 runners tried to stay cool on Sunday 9 March 2025.

The mercury soared towards 18C and the humidity was around 85%, conditions not often associated with early March. Despite the meteorological challenges, this was a top quality race with local club representatives in the vanguard as the colourful throng passed through Trinity College, King's College and Jesus College on a beautiful traffic-free route.

The Cambridge Half Marathon has grown rapidly in stature since its debut event in 2012 and now regularly pulls in one of the largest fields of any city centre 13.1-miler. The attractive course starts and finishes on Midsummer Common; crosses the famous River Cam half a dozen times; goes off road through spectacular university grounds and out into the countryside at Grantchester and Trumpington.

Jonathan Escalante-Phillips (Cambridge & Coleridge AC) – the 2020 and 2021 champion – was the first to finish in a superb 1:06:12. The Cambridge University alumnus has a half marathon best of 1:03:56 from the Great Eastern Run at Peterborough last year but has yet to make his marathon debut – it will be interesting when he does take the plunge.

Escalante-Phillips led five men under 67 minutes and was kept on his toes by Peter Molloy (Central AC, 1:06:21), Kurt Taylor (Bristol & West AC, 1:06:40), Ian Allen (Spa Striders, 1:06:43) and James Hancock (Belgrave Harriers, 1:06:52).

Sarah Potter (Leeds City, 1:13:48) set a blistering pace in the women's race. The runner-up, Holly Archer (Cambridge & Coleridge AC, 1:15:43) is a former British Indoor 1500m champion (2020) and European Indoor 1500m silver medallist (2021). This elite duo were joined on the rostrum by Ella Fennelly (Belgrave Harriers, 1:16:22). Fourth-placed Kirsty Longley (Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton Harriers, 1:16:40) ran the fastest time of the year by a W45 master athlete.

The organisers provided 20 pacers who did an excellent job keeping runners on target, including over 1,000 who beat 90 minutes.

The full results are available at the runABC race listing here.

Photos of the start and crowd support courtesy of Cambridge Half Marathon on Facebook