Merton’s First Half Marathon: 9k Places 2026

Key Points

• Merton Council is planning South West London’s first mass‑participation, closed‑road half marathon, to be held in spring 2027.
• The event is intended as Merton’s answer to the established Hackney Half Marathon, aiming to attract runners from across London and beyond.
• Around 9,000 runner places are proposed for the inaugural race, positioning it as a large‑scale event from its first year.
• The planned 13.1‑mile route is expected to pass key borough landmarks, including Wimbledon Village and the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), home of the Wimbledon Championships.
• Morden Park is earmarked as the site for the race village, providing space for start/finish areas, support services and spectators.
• Merton Council says the event will “showcase the whole borough, its green spaces, heritage and communities”, highlighting local culture and public spaces.
• The Great Run Company, organisers of the Great North Run, is lined up as the official race organiser, subject to final agreement and approvals.
• If the debut event is successful, Merton Council hopes to make the half marathon an annual fixture on the local and London running calendar.
• The event is designed to fill what Merton Council describes as a gap in mass‑participation, closed‑road half marathons in South West London.
• The proposal underlines ambitions to boost local economic activity through visitor spending, hospitality and sports‑related tourism.
• Local transport, policing and safety plans will be required to manage road closures and the movement of thousands of runners and spectators.
• Community engagement, including consultation with residents, businesses and running clubs, is expected to be central to shaping the final format and route.
• The initiative reflects a wider trend of London boroughs using large‑scale running events to promote health, wellbeing and active lifestyles.

South London (South London News) February 10, 2026 – Merton Council has unveiled plans for what it says will be South West London’s first mass‑participation, closed‑road half marathon, a new spring 2027 event offering 9,000 places and a 13.1‑mile route designed to take runners past some of the borough’s best‑known landmarks, including Wimbledon Village and the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), with a race village proposed for Morden Park and ambitions to make the race an annual showcase of Merton’s green spaces, heritage and communities.​

How is Merton Council positioning its first half marathon?

Merton Council is presenting the planned event as its own answer to the popular Hackney Half Marathon, signalling an intention to compete with established London races in both scale and profile. The council has stated that the half marathon is intended to fill a perceived gap in mass‑participation, closed‑road half marathons in South West London, where local runners currently travel to other parts of the capital for similar experiences.​

According to the details released so far, the race is scheduled for spring 2027, giving the borough a long lead‑in to refine the route, logistics and commercial partnerships. Merton Council has described the event as a “major draw” for participants from outside the borough, underlining its strategy to use sport as a vehicle for inward footfall and visibility.​

The proposed field of 9,000 runners places the Merton half marathon firmly in the category of large‑scale UK road races, rather than a small local fun run. By signalling such numbers from the outset, the council is aligning the project with city‑wide events that typically involve substantial sponsorship, volunteer recruitment and complex operational planning.​

What will the planned route and race village look like?

The planned distance of 13.1 miles confirms that Merton is working to the standard half marathon length recognised by athletics bodies and mainstream running events.

While the route has not yet been finalised, the council has indicated that it will take runners through Wimbledon Village and past the world‑famous Wimbledon Championships site, home of the AELTC, which is widely regarded as one of the borough’s most recognisable international landmarks.​

Merton Council has also said that the race village is expected to be based in Morden Park, a sizeable green space that can accommodate start and finish lines, medical and welfare facilities, baggage areas, refreshments and sponsor activations. By anchoring the event in a park, organisers aim to create a focal point for spectators and participants before and after the race, as well as a controlled environment for key logistics.​

In its early description, the council has emphasised that the route will be designed to

“showcase the whole borough, its green spaces, heritage and communities”,

suggesting that quieter residential streets, local high streets and lesser‑known parks may be incorporated alongside flagship locations. This approach mirrors the way other urban half marathons weave together iconic backdrops with everyday neighbourhood scenes, highlighting both tourism assets and local life.​

Why is Merton Council launching the event now?

Merton Council has explicitly framed the half marathon as a move to “fill the gap” in mass‑participation, closed‑road races of this distance in South West London, implying that local runners and charities currently need to look elsewhere for similar large‑scale events.

With races such as the Hackney Half Marathon already established in other parts of the capital, the council appears keen to ensure its own borough benefits from the social and economic impact of such fixtures.​

By opting for a spring 2027 launch, the council gives itself time to work through the extensive permissions, safety planning and stakeholder engagement that accompany closed‑road events involving thousands of participants.

The lead‑in also allows for marketing campaigns aimed at both local residents and runners outside the area, including those who may be attracted by the chance to run past Wimbledon’s globally recognised sporting venues.​

Beyond the running community, the proposal aligns with broader policy objectives around public health and active lifestyles, as many councils use mass runs to encourage residents to take up regular exercise. It also dovetails with efforts to support local businesses, particularly hospitality and retail, by driving increased visitor numbers on race weekend.​

Who will organise the race and how will it be delivered?

Merton Council has identified the Great Run Company as the official race organiser for the planned half marathon, subject to the usual agreements and approvals. The Great Run Company is best known for delivering the Great North Run, widely regarded as the world’s largest half marathon and a major fixture on the UK sporting calendar.​

By partnering with an experienced operator, Merton aims to draw on established expertise in route design, safety management, wave starts, timing systems and mass‑participant logistics, which are critical to events of this scale.

This relationship is expected to cover operational planning, branding, marketing and liaison with sponsors, while the council retains strategic oversight and responsibility for local engagement and approvals.​

As with other major closed‑road races, delivery will require close coordination with transport authorities, emergency services, local businesses and residents to minimise disruption and maintain safety.

The involvement of a national‑level organiser is likely to reassure many stakeholders that the event will be run to recognised industry standards, even as detailed plans are still being drawn up.​

How will local communities and businesses be affected?

Merton Council has stressed that one of the event’s key aims is to

“showcase the whole borough, its green spaces, heritage and communities”,

signalling that it sees the race as an opportunity for neighbourhoods to present themselves to visitors as well as to each other. Streets along the route can expect increased footfall on race day, with local cafés, pubs, restaurants and shops potentially benefitting from the influx of runners and supporters.​

However, as with any closed‑road event, residents and businesses are also likely to experience temporary disruption, including road closures, diversions and changes to public transport routes or timetables. The council will be expected to consult widely ahead of finalising the route, sharing detailed maps, closure times and access arrangements so that people can plan for deliveries, staff travel and customer access.​

Charities and community groups stand to gain from charity places and fundraising partnerships that typically accompany large half marathons, giving local causes a platform to raise money and awareness. Schools, sports clubs and voluntary organisations may also become involved through volunteering, cheer points and related community activities in the lead‑up to race day.​

What are the next steps before the half marathon becomes a reality?

Although the council has set out its intentions and headline details, key aspects of the event remain “not yet finalised”, including the exact 13.1‑mile route and some operational specifics. Over the coming months, Merton Council and the Great Run Company will need to carry out detailed feasibility work, risk assessments and modelling to confirm that the proposed course is safe, practical and acceptable to stakeholders.​

Formal approvals will likely be required from transport and highways authorities for road closures, along with agreement from police and emergency services on security, crowd management and emergency access. Environmental and noise considerations around Morden Park and other residential sections of the route will also need to be assessed, particularly if early‑morning start times are proposed.​

Public consultation is expected to play a significant role, with residents, businesses, local councillors and running clubs given the opportunity to comment on draft plans and suggest adjustments.

Feedback from these discussions may influence the final configuration of the route, supporting events in Morden Park and the balance between showcasing landmarks and limiting disruption in quieter streets.​

How does this planned race fit into London’s wider running calendar?

By proposing a spring 2027 date, Merton’s event will enter a crowded but thriving London running calendar that includes various 10ks, half marathons and the London Marathon itself.

The explicit comparison with the Hackney Half Marathon underlines the council’s ambition to secure a distinctive place in that landscape by focusing on South West London and harnessing the global recognition of Wimbledon.​

If the inaugural event proves successful, Merton Council has said it hopes to stage the half marathon annually, effectively creating a recurring fixture that runners can train for and return to each year. Over time, a consistently delivered race can build its own traditions, from regular pacing teams and charity partners to signature sections of the course that become familiar to participants.​

The involvement of the Great Run Company suggests that the Merton race could be integrated into larger race series or loyalty schemes, potentially drawing runners who already participate in other events managed by the same organiser.

This cross‑promotion may be particularly attractive to club runners and seasoned half‑marathon participants looking to add a South West London race to their annual schedule.​

What has been reported so far and how has it been framed?

Reporting so far has emphasised that Merton Council views the planned half marathon as a “major draw” for runners from beyond the borough, with 9,000 places proposed for the first edition and a clear aim to capitalise on Wimbledon’s international profile.

Coverage has highlighted references to the event as the first mass‑participation, closed‑road half marathon in South West London, underscoring its novelty in the regional context.​

Early reports also stress that the route is still under development, but that it will feature Wimbledon Village, the famous Wimbledon Championships site and a race village based in Morden Park, with the council’s stated goal of showcasing “the whole borough, its green spaces, heritage and communities”. While the language used indicates strong enthusiasm from Merton Council, the framing remains focused on factual details such as timing, scale, route aspirations and partnership with the Great Run Company.​

As more information becomes available, subsequent coverage is likely to explore residents’ reactions, the precise shape of the route and the practicalities of delivering a 9,000‑runner event on closed roads in a busy part of South London. For now, the story centres on the borough’s intention to establish a flagship half marathon that aligns local identity with a major sporting occasion.​