Not many half marathons can claim to have supporters throughout the 13.1-mile route but that was the case at the 43rd Green Park Reading Half Marathon on Sunday 23 February 2025.

Laura Jones, who finished in just over two hours, posted this tribute on Facebook: "My fourth time running Reading Half Marathon and every year the support absolutely blows me away. Almost all 13 miles lined with locals and spectators. Buckets of sweets, children giving high fives, the music is Britain's Got Talent worthy! The complete strangers shouting my name really kept me going in the last few miles. Thank you Reading. You're the best!"

Headline stats this year include a sub-65-minute men's winner; a sub-75-minute women's champion and 6,335 more winners who completed the race in just over four hours!

Good conditions prevailed and the enormous crowd was treated to a grandstand finish inside the magnificent Madejski Stadium. First to receive the applause was Swedish international David Nilsson (1:04:59) who competed in the World Championships Marathon in 2015 and holds a marathon best of 2:10:09 set in 2020.

Nilsson secured a narrow victory – by eight seconds – over Blake Moore (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, 1:05:07) on his half marathon debut and a local star in the Reading AC vest, Jonathan Davies (1:05:10) – winner of the Warwick Half Marathon last month in 1:07:05.

Reading Half Marathon defending champion Kate Estlea-Morris (Aldershot Farnham & District AC, 1:14:14) was a comfortable winner of the women's race, improving her 2024 time by 11 seconds. The rostrum was completed by Freya Weddell (St Albans Striders, 1:15:15 PB) and W45 Alice Braham (Ealing Eagles RC, 1:16:01) running her fastest time for 17 years!

The Green Park Challenge Fun Run, held over approximately 3K, supports the main event and also enjoys the thrilling finish in Madejski Stadium. This year's winners were 13-year-old Lorenzo Moss (The Downs School, 8:57) and 13-year-old Frankie Staker (Maiden Erlegh School, 10:27) who also won the girl's race last year in 10:35. There were 822 finishers in the Fun Run.

Results and previous event reports can be found at the runABC South race listing here.

Images courtesy Reading Half Marathon on Facebook