It's been more than 1,000 days since the last Vitality Westminster Mile and Vitality London 10,000 were held on their usual Spring dates due to the Covid-19 pandemic but both of these iconic events are set to return on early May Bank Holiday weekend in 2022.

The Vitality Westminster Mile, which starts on The Mall, loops around St James’s Park, and finishes in front of Buckingham Palace, will take place on Sunday 1 May 2022. The defending British Mile champions from 26 May 2019 are Chris O'Hare (Edinburgh AC, 4:01) and Melissa Courtney (Poole AC, 4:31). Entries will open soon and you can get a head start on the masses by registering your interest here and you can read our report from the event here.

Staged in partnership with Westminster City Council the event is for all ages and abilities, with separate events for families, adults, parkrunners, Special Olympics, and many more categories. Children aged under 12 years run free of charge. More than 9,000 people ran in over 30 races in 2019.

The Vitality London 10,000 will take place the following day on Bank Holiday Monday 2 May. The start will be on The Mall and the stunning course goes out through Westminster into the City of London, taking in some of London’s most iconic landmarks including Admiralty Arch, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mansion House, the Bank of England, the Old Bailey, Somerset House, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament before finishing in front of Buckingham Palace.

The British champions from 2019 were Sir Mo Farah (Newham & Essex Beagles, 28:15) and Steph Twell (Aldershot, 31:55) as just under 19,500 finished in London's second-largest race after the London Marathon. The runABC South report from 2019 is here.

Entries are available now via the official website and cost £39 (£2 less for members of UKA clubs). Every finisher receives a souvenir medal and a New Balance technical T-shirt (retail value £35). The virtual Vitality London 10,000 also returns in 2022, offering participants across the UK and around the world the chance to complete the event on the course of their choice at any time during the week from Saturday 30 April to Sunday 8 May. 

Hugh Brasher, Event Director for London Marathon Events, said: “It is wonderful to be bringing these two inspirational events back to the streets of London for the first time since 2019. The Vitality Westminster Mile gives thousands of families and children the chance to experience running the most iconic mile in the world and the Vitality London 10,000 offers an amazing opportunity to run past some of the capital’s greatest landmarks and finish in front of Buckingham Palace". 

Image courtesy London 10000 on Facebook