Halstead & Essex Marathon

Halstead & Essex Marathon : 9 May 2027

The Halstead & Essex Marathon is an annual road marathon organised by Halstead Road Runners and held in North Essex, with Race HQ at Halstead Leisure Centre, Colne Road, Halstead CO9 2HR. The event was established in 1995 and has been running for over 30 years. It is staged on scenic, low-traffic roads through rolling hills, woods and farmland and uses a course with a measurement certificate No. 25/009.

The marathon is part of the Essex Road Running Championships and is open to runners born in Essex or resident in Essex for nine months or longer. Current course records are 2:28:08 for men and 2:53:22 for women, with a £200 prize for record breakers. The organisers report raising over £5,000 for charities in the previous year and the event won the 2025 England Athletics East Region Community volunteer project of the year award.

Entry conditions include a maximum field of 500 runners and a no-refund policy; race refund insurance is offered as an optional extra and transfers are allowed until one week before the event. Standard entry fees are listed as £53 for UK Athletics affiliated entrants and £55 for non-affiliated entrants, with an early-bird reduced fee previously available. Entries close on 2 May 2027. If the event has not sold out, a limited number of card payment entries may be available on the day.

Parking is not available at Race HQ; a dedicated parking area is provided and is a short walk from the leisure centre. Event photographs from 10 May 2026 are being processed and will be available from the event photographer. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.