Kadar Omar Abdullahi celebrated the biggest year of his running journey with victory at The Big Half on Sunday 6 September, defeating three time champion Jack Rowe on the streets of London.

Abdullahi, who came to the UK as a refugee from Ethiopia aged 13 and became a British citizen earlier this summer, claimed both his first Big Half victory and the UK Athletics Half Marathon Championships title in 61:51. He described running as the force that helped him integrate into British society and said representing his new country made the achievement particularly meaningful.

Rowe had been chasing a fourth victory after three consecutive wins but had to settle for second. The pair had recently raced over 5K at Battersea, where Rowe prevailed, but this time Abdullahi was able to pull clear.

There was another landmark performance in the men's wheelchair race. David Weir secured a record fifth Big Half title and improved his own course record by 45 seconds, winning in 46:13. At 47, Weir continues to make the most of every racing opportunity and has now broken the Big Half course record in consecutive years.

Eilish McColgan provided another notable comeback story in the elite women's race. Returning after breaking a toe at the 2026 TCS London Marathon, McColgan pulled away around three miles from the finish to win in 70:54. Defending champion Jess Warner-Judd was second in 72:13, with Emma Pallant third in 72:59.

Eden Rainbow-Cooper completed the elite winners with her third women's wheelchair title. Her 52:47 was a personal best on the course and brought her within 42 seconds of Sammie Kinghorn's course record.

Behind the elite races, more than 18,000 participants took on The Big Half, with the route from Tower Bridge to the Cutty Sark once again providing the stage for one of London's biggest celebrations of community running.

Full results are available via the runABC race hub here.

Image courtesy London Marathon Media.