Next year's Farnborough Winter Half Marathon on Sunday, 8 February 2026, will be the 10th edition and organisers 2:09 Events have something special planned to mark the anniversary.

With 2:09 Events based in Farnborough, and run by former London Marathon champion Mike Gratton, it was only a matter of time before the company came up with the idea of organising a half-marathon in their immediate area.

To avoid competing with well-established spring races nearby, they opted for an early-season winter date. The Farnborough Winter Half Marathon now styles itself as: "Not only the first major half marathon of the year, it is also one of the flattest, fastest routes in the South."

The first event was sold out with 2,000 runners, and apart from the COVID year, when the race switched from a winter half to a summer half, it's been a sell-out ever since. This year saw new course records set by Adam Clarke (1:03:46) and Ellie Monks (1:15:55) as a record 2,398 finished in 5:47:17.

For the 2026 race, 2:09 Events is promising a bumper goody bag for all finishers. As well as regular cash prizes for exceptional efforts at the front of the field, including any new course records, there will be two 'random' cash prizes of £110 and £210 to runners who place 1,010 and 2,010 respectively in the official results.

The race limit was expanded to 3,000 for 2025, with no cut-off time. To help slower competitors towards the back of the field, a run/walk pace team was introduced in 2023 and has proven so popular that it has become a permanent feature, making this the only half-marathon with pacers from 90 minutes to 360 minutes!

To be part of a brisk, refreshing half-marathon at the home of British Aviation, where there is no cut-off time, visit the Farnborough Winter Half Marathon website to learn more. The race will start at 9:00 a.m. on 8 February 2026, under the Airship Hangar at Farnborough Business Park, located on the former Royal Aircraft Establishment headquarters site at Farnborough.

Results and previous reports are at the runABC South race listing here.

Image courtesy Farnborough Half Marathon Gallery/2:09 Events