The Time Out London blog team

The Hackney Half Marathon is so much more than just a running race. Known for its motivational, great-vibes live entertainment and DJ sets along the route, the HOKA Half (as it’s known this year for sponsorship reasons) is one of London’s most in-demand running races. The 2026 edition is this coming weekend, the headline event of the two-day Hackney Moves festival. The 13.1-mile stretch goes through the likes of Homerton, Dalston, Haggerston and London Fields, passing by iconic east London green spaces like Hackney Downs and Victoria Park. If you’re running in this year’s event (or going to cheer someone along), you’ll want to know where you need to be and when. Find a guide to all the start times (and how to track runners) below. RECOMMENDED: The Hackney Half 2026 route and where to watch the race. When is the 2026 Hackney Half Marathon? The race is on Sunday May 17 2026. The ‘festival village’ on Hackney Marshes opens at 7am on the day, with bag drop starting at 7.30am. The race starts at 9am, and the race cut-off is 2pm. How many waves are there at the start of the Hackney Half Marathon? There are eight waves of entrants, who’re split into four pens at the start of the race. If you’re taking part, you’ll already know what your pen letter is – it’ll be either A, B, C, D, E, F, G or H. If you fancy joining a different wave on the day, note that you can only join a pen that starts after your allotted time. So, As can join Cs, but Fs can’t jump up to run with the Bs. What...

Londoners fell hard for Fool’s Spring last weekend – and not for the first time. One minute we were baring our legs and souls over Aperol spritzes in rooftop bars. The next, we were digging out our winter coats and huddling together for warmth in cafés, watching our outdoorsy social plans fall apart as messily as an over-stuffed pita. And it wasn’t pretty. So all things considered, it’s almost hard to get excited this for weekend when the best we can hope for is light rain and temperatures that creep into the mid teens. But don’t sink into despondency just yet. What this weekend lacks in radiant weather, it makes up for in abundant opportunities for free fun. You don’t need to drown your sorrows in expensive bars, cloak yourself in panic-bought jumpers from Hackney boutiques, or shell out for pricy tickets to indoor gigs to escape the gloom. Read on and start planning with our spirit-lifting line-up of events that won’t require opening your wallet. Just remember to bring a cardigan or a waterproof coat, so nothing can rain on your parade. RECOMMENDED: London travel disruption this weekend – full list of tube and train closures for May 16-17 2026. The best free things on in London this weekend, May 15-17 2026 1. Embrace the chill at a free Scandi festival Why not replace your dreams of warm weather with a day of wholeheartedly appreciating the culture of one of the world’s cooler countries, Norway? Covent Garden Piazza is laying on free festivities in honour of Syttende...

Mayfair has long been one of London’s more ‘red flag’ neighbourhoods. Just one street over from friendly fun Soho, but spiritually a million miles away, Mayfair is where oligarchs rub cashmere shoulders, private galleries shift questionable art, and people deal in literal diamonds. London is already one of the most expensive cities in the world, but Mayfair? Mayfair can bankrupt you in seconds.  Mayfair might have finally shaken off some of its stuffiness Despite all that money – or maybe because of it? – restaurants in Mayfair are usually more cringey than classy. It’s full of flashy tourist traps for those in possession of more cash than sense, and bonkers boltholes for the super-rich. But a new kind of Mayfair restaurant has been attracting regular Londoners back to the warren of Georgian lanes between Piccadilly and Oxford Street. It began with New York Italian-inspired disco bistro The Dover, and its sassy little sibling, Dover Street Counter, followed late last year. At both, the food isn’t as madly-priced as you’d think, and the vibes are exceptional. Automat on Mount Street has followed suit, pushing the same martinis-and-fries aesthetic and DakaDaka has impressed with its booming take on Georgian cuisine. New York import Carbone has also joined the party, and even Claridge’s has got in on the action, with historic West Village cafe Dante in permanent residence at the luxury hotel’s main bar and restaurant, and hipster baker Richard Hart in charge of the offering...