The Taunton Half Marathon had been a staple sporting fixture in the county town of Somerset for almost 40 years, until the long-serving organisers decided it was time to step down. So step forward Dan, Alex and Dave of Active South West, who pledged: "With the blessing and support of the previous organisers, it is our intention to carry on the wonderful legacy of this race but with our own stamp."

Having set the bar high, the first test was on Sunday, 1st March 2026, when the Taunton Half Marathon returned under new management. And what a resounding success it was, with over 2,000 entries and 1,780 finishers in 3:49:33!

The conclusion of the race was immediately followed by around 200 entries for next year and more than 40 positive comments on Facebook, like this from Isa Babeu Tonash: "Absolutely top event and superb organisation. You three guys have done a grand job bringing this race back and making it such a lovely community event. There was even sunshine at some point. How amazing that you managed to get it out of retirement for us. The support all around the course was incredible, and I'm now obviously already signed up for next year!!!"

The new organising team have moved the Race HQ and Start/Finish into the historic town centre, with runners finishing along North Street with the iconic Taunton landmark of the Market House in view. This brings a sense of theatre to the event, making it more spectator-friendly and community-focused. The town centre was closed to traffic for safety, which helps to promote a brilliant atmosphere, along with the excitement of a samba band!

The top three men, on a single lap course with 500 feet of elevation, were Jamie Williamson (Bristol & West AC, 1:08:03), Chris Hewitt (Tiverton Harriers, 1:09:28) and Tom Addison-Wood (Wells City Harriers, 1:12:29).

The leading trio in the women's race were Serane Stone (Bideford AAC, 1:29:10), Ellie Clist (Plymouth Tri Club, 1:30:04) and Rachel Astington (Running For Time, 1:32:31).

A nice touch from the new organisers was the special 40th edition medal presented to all finishers in both the half-marathon and the supporting Kids Kilometre Fun Run.
     
Results are available via the runABC South race listing here.

Entries for 2027 are already open and you can enter here now.

Photo courtesy of Taunton Half Marathon on Facebook