New this week: the Park & Ride map and the Event Village map.
Using city Park & Ride? Remember to prebook via the RingGo app, and arrive early.
Everything you need for Sunday 11 October, from leaving home to collecting your medal. Read it through, tick off your checklist, and we'll see you at the start.
Your personalised race day guide link, with your start pen and entry details, is in your emails. Read on for everything else you need.
There'll be thousands of you making your way to the start at the same time on Sunday morning, so please plan your journey well in advance and allow plenty of time. Roads along the route reopen as runners complete each section, when safe to do so, any runners predicted to finish after 13:45 may be asked to move onto the pavement.
Race start 09:30
Right in the heart of the city
Bag drop, toilets, warm-up & help desk
Route cut-off 13:45
To reduce queues for bag drop, please arrive in the window that matches your allocated start pen. The race starts at 09:30, your pen letter is printed on your race number.
| Start pen | Arrive at Event Village | Move to your start pen | Estimated start time |
|---|---|---|---|
| A – C | 08:00 – 08:20 | 08:45 – 09:05 | 09:30 – 09:45 |
| D – E | 08:15 – 08:35 | 09:00 – 09:20 | 09:45 – 10:00 |
| F – G | 08:30 – 08:50 | 09:15 – 09:35 | 10:00 – 10:15 |
Example bib for runners who opted in for a finisher’s t-shirt. If you opted out, your bib carries a yellow marker instead.
You'll have either received your race pack in the post, or, if you opted for collection, you can pick up your race bib from the Event Village in Oxford University Parks, OX1 3RF on Saturday 10 October, 10:00–17:00. To collect, bring photo ID and the QR code we email you in race week. A photo of your ID is fine, and you can collect for someone else if you bring their ID and QR code. Don't forget your safety pins for race day.
If you opted for postage and it hasn't arrived by Friday 9 October, you can pick up a replacement from the Event Village on Saturday 10 October. A replacement just needs photo ID, no QR code.
Your timing chip is attached to your race number. Please don't remove, bend, fold or cover it, or we won't be able to track your time. If it's damaged in the post, pick up a replacement bib from the Event Village on Saturday 10 October.
Your race number is prefixed with a letter matching your allocated start pen, based on your predicted finish time, this is your arrival window. Your number is individual to you and can't be resold or transferred; running in someone else's bib may mean we can't identify you or your next of kin in an emergency.
Please fill in the emergency details on the reverse. Your bib also shows whether you opted in for a finisher's t-shirt, you'll only receive one at the finish if you opted in at registration.
At the bottom of your race number are two tear-off tags. The bottom tag is your baggage label, attach it to your bag before you arrive. The top tag is your reclaim tag, keep it on your race number throughout the run and hand it to baggage staff to collect your bag quickly after the finish.
Write your name on the front of your bib so spectators can cheer you on. And bring your own safety pins, our top tip is to arrive Race Ready with your bib already secured to the front of your top.
If you opted for a finisher's t-shirt, you'll pick it up after you cross the finish line, it doesn't come with your race bib.
There's no parking at the event site or in the city centre, so please plan your travel carefully. Runners should aim to be in Oxford city centre before 07:30.
Book the city Park & Ride through the RingGo app. These sites are open to the public and get very busy, and pre-booking doesn’t guarantee you a space, so please arrive early. The first shuttle from these sites to the city centre is at 07:00.
Arrive earlyAs last year, we run an event-specific Park & Ride at Unipart House, OX4 6LX. This has now sold out.
Local bus companies run normal Sunday services, though expect diversions and longer journeys due to road closures for the race.
Runs from London Victoria to Oxford Gloucester Green (~15 mins' walk from the race village), roughly hourly through the night and morning, with first departures around 03:15 and regular services from 06:10. It gets very busy, so arrive early and board at Victoria. A ticket doesn't guarantee a seat on a full bus.
A train shuttle runs from Didcot Parkway into Oxford (about 20 mins) on event morning. Trains that get you to the start: 06:34, 07:10, 07:46. Early wave? Catch an early train. Book via Great Western Railway.
The earliest London service into Oxford does not arrive in time to start. From London we strongly recommend the Oxford Tube, or arriving on Saturday 10 October. Using other options? Plan to reach the city centre before 07:30.
Booked the Unipart Event Park & Ride? Here's where to find the car park and the shuttle drop-off and pick-up point. For city Park & Ride, remember to prebook via the RingGo app.
The 2026 route runs on the same route as 2025, start and finish both on Mansfield Road, past Oxford's most iconic landmarks, up to Summertown and looping back through University Parks.
Volunteers hand out water at the aid stations along the route. Aid station 2 (mile 6.5) is the exception, it stocks OTE energy gels rather than water. All water is served in 100% recyclable cups, please use the large bins just after each station, take one cup at a time, and keep to the far side of the road if you're not stopping.
| Mile | Station |
|---|---|
| 3.8 | Water cups & refill |
| 6.5 | OTE gels |
| 7.7 | Water cups & refill |
| 10.1 | Water cups & refill |
| 11.4 | Water cups & refill |
In an emergency, runners will be asked to move to the side of the road to let emergency vehicles through, please follow marshals’ instructions at all times.
The medical centre is just after the finish line, with medical professionals there and on the route, including at aid stations. If you’re worried about someone out on the route, head to the help desk and the team will do their best to find out more for you. If you feel unwell during the race, stop and find your nearest marshal or aid station.
Our friendly photographers at Marathon Photos will be on route and at the finish. Look for the “smile for the camera” signs and give them a wave. We’ll email you a link to invite friends and family to watch your photos come in, plus a link to buy your photos after the event.
With thousands of you running, we manage timings carefully. Anyone predicted to finish after 13:45 may be asked to move to the pavement so we can get Oxford moving again. Our sweep team will support anyone past 13:45, and runners who finish after the cut-off are still eligible for their medal and t-shirt.
We’ve lined the route with live bands, DJs and local performers to keep you moving. To make the most of it, and to hear safety announcements, we recommend leaving your headphones at home and soaking up the energy of Oxford.
This year’s line-up includes:
Look out for volunteers in red hi-vis along the route and at key turns. As well as cheering you on, they help with directions for runners and spectators.
We’ve worked closely with Thames Valley Police throughout planning. Alongside our staff and volunteers, security staff and police officers are positioned at all key areas and around the route to help the day run smoothly.
There are toilets in the Event Village before you head to the start, and at the aid stations along the route.
Once runners cross the start line, friends and family can follow them on the official Oxford Half App, available on the Apple App Store & Google Play a week before the event. The app has participant tracking, spectator info, route maps and more. Names may not appear in tracking until just before the start.
There are water cups at the aid stations along the route. If you’re bringing your own bottle, there are refill points in the Event Village and on the route.
Our pacers run an even, steady pace to help you hit your target. Look out for the flag they carry, showing their finish time, and settle in with the group that matches your goal.
| Finish time | Pacers |
|---|---|
| 1h30 | Matt Jervis Ollie Hull |
| 1h35 | James Salter Daniel Worthey |
| 1h40 | Mike Wheeler Thomas Chapman |
| 1h45 | Phil West Jimmy Dale |
| 1h50 | Chris Nicholson Rattee Hensirisakul |
| 1h55 | Sophie Tomaszczyk Nick Alexander |
| 2h00 | Anna Lyne Andrew Martin |
| 2h05 | Nigel Ribeiro Andrew Muir |
| 2h10 | Kelly Pitman Silvio Dus |
| 2h15 | Libby Morrell Bayley Pielow |
| 2h20 | Clare Gabriel Stephen Standley |
| 2h25 | Jon Cooney Jack Pesterfield |
| 2h30 | Zijun Chen Yuki Ye |
| 2h40 | Amanda Jones |
| 2h45+ | Bunmi Ogunlesi |
A colour-coded Event Day Alert tells you the status of route conditions on race day, from low (green) to extreme (black). On the day, the status is announced at the start and finish. Although October is often cooler, do hydrate well in the days beforehand.
Keep moving after the finish so others can come through behind you. If you opted for a t-shirt, you'll get it here with your medal. Medical staff are on hand if you need them.
Bag drop opens at 07:30 and closes at 14:30, please collect your bag as soon as you finish. Have your reclaim tag ready.
Stick around and soak up the post-race atmosphere with food vendors, our partners and exhibitors.
Found or lost something? Lost property is at the Help Desk in the Event Village, closing at 14:30. We hold lost items for one month after the race.
Results are posted on the Oxford Half website after the race. Live tracking and preliminary results are in the app, and if you gave a mobile number at registration you'll get a text with your official time when you finish.
Marathon Photos capture you on route and at the finish. We'll email a link to invite friends and family to watch your photos come in, and a link to buy them after the event.
The itab plus is a precision-engraved medal insert and medal hanger combo, positioning your custom name and finish time proud and centre stage directly above your Oxford Half medal.
You didn’t train this hard to hide your results. Mark the moments that matter with this sleek and stylish keepsake that turns endurance into identity. Simply select the itab plus in your event registration.
You will receive your pre-purchased itab plus in the post 2–3 weeks after race day. Didn’t add one before race day? You can still order one at makeitpersonal.io post event.
Coming to cheer? Here's the schedule and how to follow your runner around the route.
On the route map, the dashed line marks the fan hub walking route, a suggested path that links the Race Village with the best spots to cheer along the way. Follow it to move between viewing points on foot and loop back to the fan hub without crossing the runners’ route. Only ever cross the route at the official crossing points, where marshals will help you across.
We want everyone to enjoy watching their runners take part, but their safety and yours is our top priority. A few quick tips and etiquette reminders for cheering them on:
Know someone who wants to be part of race day without running it? Our volunteers are the heartbeat of the Oxford Half.
From cheering runners on to handing out water and medals, volunteers keep the whole day running, and soak up every bit of the atmosphere while they do it. It’s a brilliant way for friends and family to be part of race day.
As a thank you, every volunteer earns a free place at one of our 2027 events:
Not planning to run yourself? You can pass your free place on to a friend or family member.
