Rugby's railway past will become part of the race-day experience when runners take on the Rugby Half Marathon on Sunday 25 October 2026.

Starting at Hart Field at 9:00am, the road-closed Half Marathon combines town-centre streets with country roads and a section of the disused Great Central Railway. Now a linear nature reserve and recognised wildlife hotspot, the former railway provides one of the most distinctive features of the 13.1-mile route.

The course is gently undulating, giving runners a mixture of faster sections and changes in gradient as they move between Rugby and the surrounding countryside. For those targeting a particular finishing time, including some undulating routes in the final weeks of training should provide useful preparation.

There should also be opportunities for spectators to follow the action, particularly as the course passes through the town. Road closures allow runners to make use of streets normally occupied by traffic and help give the event a different atmosphere from a conventional rural Half Marathon.

Race-day organisation includes chip timing, distance markers and marshals around the course. Every finisher will receive a themed medal, while free race photography and post-race goodies are also included.

Sustainability forms part of the organiser's wider event approach. Rather than automatically including a race T-shirt with every entry, runners who want one can add a Rugby Half Marathon technical shirt produced with RT Kit during the entry process.

It is the route, however, that gives Rugby its strongest identity. Combining the town's streets, open country roads and a reminder of its railway past creates an autumn Half Marathon closely connected to its Warwickshire setting.

Entries are available via the runABC race hub here.

Image AI Generated.