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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 are the wave start times?
Here are the start times for each pen letter:
A and B
- Arrive: 7.20am-7.45am
- Move into start pen: 8.20am-8.40am
- Start: 9am-9.20am
C and D
- Arrive: 7.45am-8.10am
- Move into start pen: 8.40am-9am
- Start: 9.20am-9.40am
E and F
- Arrive: 8.10am-8.30am
- Move into start pen: 9am-9.20am
- Start: 9.40am-10am
G and H
- Arrive: 8.30am-8.50am
- Move into start pen: 9.20am-9.40am
- Start: 10am-10.20am
Where does the Hackney Half Marathon start and finish?
Handily (and unlike the London Marathon) the Hackney Half starts and finishes in the same place: Hackney Marshes.
How to track the runners
You can follow a participant’s progress by downloading the HOKA Hackney Moves app. You’ll need a runner’s number in order to track them (make sure to only input the numbers, not letters). Download on the App Store here and Google Play here.
What’s the weather forecast looking like?
Well, the forecast isn’t great. The Met Office reckons that while Sunday morning won’t be too windy (just 6mph) and there will be flickers of sunshine, there’s also a 70 percent chance of rain.
If you’re running, make sure you’re wearing appropriately grippy shoes and a peak cap. If you’ve got your phone, you’ll want to make sure it’s in a waterproof pouch. You may also want to bring a dry change of clothes for after the race.
Freebies
As always, a bunch of east London institutions will be offering freebies, perks and afterparties for runners on Sunday. These range from free pints and yoga sessions to goodie bags, and you can find a full list of all participating businesses here.
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