Which roads close for the Royal Parks Half Marathon on Sunday, and where can you watch? Closure times, the route mile by mile, passing times and Tube tips

Royal Parks Half Marathon road closures begin at 00:01 on Sunday 11 October, when roads inside Hyde Park shut until 05:00 on Monday 12 October. Roads in St James's Park close from 06:00 to 18:30, and Westminster streets on the route from 07:00 to 12:30, with parking suspended along the course from 06:00. The 13.1-mile race starts at 08:45 on South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park. It runs through The Green Park and St James's Park, along the Mall twice, past Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square, up the Strand and back, then returns through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens to finish in front of the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall. In recent years the closures have covered the Mall, Constitution Hill, Birdcage Walk, Park Lane in both directions, Hyde Park Corner, Whitehall, Parliament Street, Parliament Square, Trafalgar Square, the Strand and Piccadilly eastbound. Bus routes through Victoria, Westminster and the West End will be diverted for most of the morning, The WP Times reports.

The race, organised by The Royal Parks charity and sponsored this year by the Spanish sportswear brand Oysho, sends runners off in waves from 08:45, with the last wave released between 09:30 and 09:45. Leading runners are expected to finish at about 09:50, and the four-hour course limit means the last finishers come through at about 13:45. The best places to watch are the Mall, where runners pass twice; the Strand, where an out-and-back section shows the leaders and the main field in opposite directions; Whitehall and Parliament Square for the Westminster landmarks; and Serpentine Road in Hyde Park, which organisers call the loudest cheer mile on the course. Runners can be tracked live in the official Royal Parks Half app. Getting there is complicated by planned Tube works: the Circle and District lines are closed through Victoria, Westminster and South Kensington all weekend. Organisers are directing spectators to Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner and Green Park on the Piccadilly line, which runs normally. Sunday is forecast dry by the Met Office after a windy, showery Saturday. Balloons, confetti cannons and glass are not allowed anywhere on the course.

Which roads are closed for the Royal Parks Half Marathon

The organisers have confirmed three closure windows for 2026. A street-by-street list for this year has not been published on the race website, so drivers and residents should also check the yellow advance notices posted on the affected roads. Emergency vehicle access is kept open on every closed road. Residents inside the closure zones can usually reach their homes on foot, with marshals controlling crossing points. Vehicles left on the route after 06:00 can be removed.

Which streets are usually closed

The course has barely changed in recent years, so the streets closed in 2024 and 2025 are the best guide to Sunday. In 2025, closures covered the Mall, Constitution Hill and Birdcage Walk, Park Lane in both directions, Whitehall and Parliament Street, Trafalgar Square and the Strand, and Piccadilly eastbound. In 2024, times were published street by street and are shown below as a guide.

What do the closures mean for drivers, buses and taxis?

Drivers crossing central London on Sunday morning should avoid Park Lane, Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly, the Mall, Birdcage Walk, Whitehall, Parliament Square, Victoria Street and the Strand until after 12:30. The road network inside Hyde Park remains closed all day and overnight. From Victoria and Pimlico, journeys north towards Mayfair, Trafalgar Square and the West End are likely to be diverted, and alternative routes such as Vauxhall Bridge Road, Grosvenor Place and Victoria Embankment are likely to be busier. Bus routes using the closed roads will be diverted or shortened; TfL posts route-by-route changes on its status pages on the day. Taxis and private hire vehicles cannot cross the course and will drop off at the nearest open road. Anyone with a flight, hospital appointment or train to catch on Sunday morning should plan a route that avoids the course entirely.

• Avoid driving through Westminster and Mayfair between 07:00 and 12:30.
• Hyde Park roads stay closed until 05:00 on Monday.
• Do not park on the route from 06:00.
• Allow extra time on alternative routes such as Vauxhall Bridge Road, Grosvenor Place and Victoria Embankment.
• Check TfL bus status on Sunday morning before travelling.

What do the closures mean for residents and businesses

Residents of Pimlico, Victoria, St James's and Mayfair will find the main routes north and east cut on Sunday morning. Victoria Street and Parliament Square were closed on the morning of the 2024 race, and the same corridor is on this year's route. Churches, hotels and restaurants around St James's Park and Whitehall should plan for road access being restricted, and deliveries to premises on the route should be timed before 06:00 or after the reopening times. Pedestrians can cross the course at marked crossing points, but may be held by marshals when large groups of runners are passing.

What is the Royal Parks Half Marathon route

The Royal Parks Half Marathon is a single lap of 13.1 miles, or 21.1km, on closed roads through four of London's eight Royal Parks: Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens. The course is close to flat, with about 65 metres of total climb. It starts on South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park and, since 2025, finishes in Kensington Gardens in front of the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall. The order of the course below follows the 2025 route, which the organisers' current route page also describes. Mile positions are approximate and are given to help spectators plan, not as official markers.

Start: Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace

The first mile takes runners east along South Carriage Drive to Hyde Park Corner, past Wellington Arch and into The Green Park. Constitution Hill runs gently downhill towards Buckingham Palace, which makes the early pace fast. This section is busy with runners' families seeing off their wave; space is tightest near the start funnels, where only runners are allowed.

St James's Park, the Mall and Westminster

Runners loop St James's Park and run the length of the Mall for the first time, before heading along Birdcage Walk towards Parliament Square, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The first water station is at about 3.5 miles. Parliament Square and Great George Street offer a view of runners framed by the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey.

Whitehall, Trafalgar Square and the Strand

From Parliament Square the course turns north up Whitehall, past Downing Street, the Cenotaph and Horse Guards, into Trafalgar Square. Runners then head east along the Strand and turn back. Because the Strand section is out and back, supporters on the pavement there see runners twice in quick succession and can watch the leading runners coming back towards Trafalgar Square while the main field is still heading out.

The Mall again and back to Hyde Park

After the Strand, the route returns along the Mall for a second time, past Buckingham Palace and up through The Green Park to Hyde Park Corner. Supporters on the Mall who do not move can see a runner twice, about an hour apart for a two-hour runner.

Hyde Park, Serpentine Road and Kensington Gardens

The final third of the race is inside Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Serpentine Road, alongside the lake, is where crowds are densest. Water stations are at about 9.5 and 11 miles. The last miles pass Kensington Palace before the finish on the south side of Kensington Gardens, in front of the Albert Memorial and opposite the Royal Albert Hall.

When will runners pass each point

The table below estimates when runners of different speeds will reach each section, based on the approximate mile positions above, an even pace, the 08:45 first-wave start and later start times for slower waves. Actual times depend on each runner's wave, which is printed on the race number, and on pace. Use the Royal Parks Half app for live timings on the day.

These are calculations by The WP Times, not official timings. Wave start times other than the first wave at 08:45 and the last between 09:30 and 09:45 have not been published.

Where are the best places to watch

Which spot suits which supporter

• To see a runner twice without moving: stand on the Mall.
• To see the elite race and the main field together: stand on the Strand.
• For photographs with landmarks: Parliament Square, Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.
• For the biggest atmosphere: Serpentine Road in Hyde Park.
• To meet a runner afterwards: watch in Kensington Gardens near the finish, then walk to the event village.
• With young children: Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens have more space and toilets than the Westminster streets.

Accessible viewing and quieter areas

Accessible viewing areas are provided along the route; details are in the organisers' accessibility guide. The event village in Hyde Park has accessible toilets, a sensory calm zone and a low-volume area for supporters who need a quieter space. British Sign Language interpreters were provided at the 2025 event. Green Park station is step-free.

How do you get there with the Tube closures

The Circle line is closed between Edgware Road and Aldgate via Victoria, and the District line from Edgware Road and Tower Hill to Ealing Broadway, Kensington (Olympia), Richmond and Wimbledon, on Saturday and Sunday. That leaves South Kensington, Sloane Square, Victoria, St James's Park and Westminster without Circle and District trains. The Piccadilly, Victoria, Jubilee, Central, Bakerloo and Northern lines run as normal. The DLR is closed between Stratford International and Woolwich Arsenal, and the Weaver line has no service until 10:15 on Sunday.

Moving between viewing points takes time because pedestrians cannot always cross the course. To watch on the Mall and then at the finish, the Piccadilly line from Green Park to Knightsbridge is usually quicker than walking through the closed park roads. National Rail passengers arriving at Victoria can take the Victoria line to Green Park; those at Paddington can walk into Hyde Park from Lancaster Gate.

When does the event village open and what is there

The event village in Hyde Park is the assembly area for runners before the start and the meeting point afterwards. Runners walk there from the finish line at the Albert Memorial to collect their medal and finisher items. Last year the village programme of food, drink and partner activities ran from 10:30 to 14:00, and the village closed at 16:00. The charity Jog On collects unwanted running shoes, in pairs, tied together and clean.

How do you track a runner

The official Royal Parks Half app shows each runner's split times, position and predicted finish, using the timing chip built into the race number. Supporters can follow several runners at once by name or race number, and runners can share their progress. Because the predicted finish updates at each timing point, the app is the best way to judge when to move from one viewing spot to another. Last year, official results were published on the race website the day after the event, and runners received an email with their time. Anyone who believes a time is wrong can use the results request form on the official site.

What can spectators bring, and what is banned

• Bring a charged phone with the Royal Parks Half app, a sign with the runner's name (without poles), layers and a light waterproof, and a card or cash for food in the event village.
• Do not bring balloons, confetti cannons or glass.
• Do not hand food or drink to runners from the crowd; water stations are at about 3.5, 6.5, 9.5 and 11 miles, and energy gels are not provided on the course.
• Keep off the course: runners have priority, and marshals control crossing points.

What will the weather be like?

The Met Office forecast for London and the South East, issued on Thursday 8 October, describes Sunday as dry, with a mix of cloud and sunny spells and the wind easing after a windy, showery Saturday. Friday was forecast to reach 19C. Conditions on Sunday morning should suit both runners and spectators, but early starters in the park should bring a layer.

How big is the Royal Parks Half Marathon?

The Royal Parks Half Marathon was founded in 2008 by the Royal Parks Foundation and has grown to more than 16,000 participants. It has raised more than £70 million for over 1,200 UK charities, and entrants run either for The Royal Parks or for a charity of their choice. Places are allocated by public ballot, which for 2026 ran from 26 January to 6 February, and through charity places. Oysho replaced Royal Bank of Canada as headline sponsor this year. Oscar Bell has won the men's race three times, in 2021, 2022 and 2024; in 2024 he finished in 1 hour 5 minutes 12 seconds, and Nicola Jackson won the women's race in 1 hour 18 minutes 15 seconds.

What else is on in London on Sunday?

Sunday is one of the busiest days of the autumn in central London. Westlife play the last of three nights at the O2 Arena, with doors at 6pm; the Jubilee line runs to North Greenwich as normal. The BFI London Film Festival continues across Westminster and the South Bank until 18 October. The 90s: Art and Fashion at Tate Britain in Pimlico and Tim Walker's Fairyland at the National Portrait Gallery both opened this week. Hampton Court Palace holds a free garden open day. The Strictly Come Dancing results show airs on BBC One in the evening.

Frequently asked questions

Which roads are closed for the Royal Parks Half Marathon?

Hyde Park roads from 00:01 on Sunday to 05:00 on Monday, St James's Park roads from 06:00 to 18:30, and Westminster roads on the route from 07:00 to 12:30.

Is Park Lane closed on Sunday?

Park Lane was closed in both directions on race morning in 2025 and from 07:45 to 12:00 in 2024. Expect it to be closed on Sunday morning.

When do Westminster roads reopen?

At 12:30 on Sunday 11 October. St James's Park roads reopen at 18:30 and Hyde Park roads at 05:00 on Monday.

What is the Royal Parks Half Marathon route?

A 13.1-mile single lap from Hyde Park through The Green Park and St James's Park, along the Mall twice, past Parliament, up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, along the Strand and back, then through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens to the Albert Memorial.

Where is the best place to watch?

The Mall, where runners pass twice, the Strand for the out-and-back section, and Serpentine Road in Hyde Park for the loudest support.

What time will the leaders finish?

At about 09:50, based on recent winning times of about 65 minutes.

Which stations should I use?

Knightsbridge, Hyde Park Corner and Green Park on the Piccadilly line, and Charing Cross for Trafalgar Square. The Circle and District lines are closed.

How can I track a runner?

Through the official Royal Parks Half app, using their name or race number.

Sources used: Royal Parks Half Marathon road closures, route page, FAQs and runner information, Royal Parks Half Marathon Event Guide 2025, The Royal Parks event listing, LondonWorld route and road closures reports (2024 and 2025), 13milers race listing, RunABC race preview, Wikipedia, Transport for London planned closures (24 September 2026), Met Office regional forecast (8 October 2026), Time Out London.

Read about the life of Westminster and Pimlico district, London and the world. 24/7 news with fresh and useful updates on culture, business, technology and city life: What's on in London this weekend, 10-11 October 2026? Westlife at the O2, Royal Parks Half, The 90s at Tate Britain, free art and what to book