Swindon Half Marathon September 2026

Chip timing & splits

Distance markers

Event village

Friendly marshals

Address

Coate Water Country Park

Marlborough Rd, Coate, Swindon SN3 6AA

Getting There

By Car: The country park is accessible from the Coate Roundabout which is a 5-minute drive from Junction 15 of the M4.

Parking

Free parking is available at the Polo Ground. The car park will open from 7:00am, and we strongly recommend arriving as early as possible to allow plenty of time for parking and making your way to the Event Village. Please car share where possible.

Please follow the instructions of the parking team on site and, where possible, consider car sharing to help reduce congestion.

The Event Village is approximately a 10-minute walk from the car park, so please make sure you allow enough time to walk from your vehicle to the Event Village before the start of the event.

Event Village Opens

7:30am

Baggage

There is a secure area where you can leave your bags, it is recommended to bring as little as possible. Make sure your baggage tag from your bib number is attached to your bag. To collect show your number at the baggage tent and the staff will find your bag.

Toilets

There will be portable toilets within the Event Village. We will also have toilets on course at Water Station 2 (approx 6 miles)

Water & Refreshments

There will be water stations at 5km, 10km & 15km, and a bottle of water at the finish line!

Race Pack Collection

7:30am - 8:40am

Warm-Up & Race Start

There will be a group warm-up 15 minutes prior to the start of the race. From here, we will call out estimated finish times to get all runners lined up and ready to run.

Cut-Off

Half Marathon — 3 hrs

Due to the road closures, there will be a 3 hour cut off for this race. This is due to the roads re-opening. If you think you may take longer than the cut-off time, please email info@runthrough.co.uk before the event so we can advise on the options, we want everyone to finish and knowing in advance lets us keep the course and marshals in pace for you where we can.

Arriving in good time will help ensure a smooth start for everyone. The race will start at 9am - late starters will not be permitted to join once the race has begun as there is a strict cut off due to road closures in place.

Spectators are more than welcome. The Event Village at Coate Water is the best place to watch — you will catch the start, the closing stretch beside the lake and the finish, with refreshments and toilets on site.

Much of the route is on closed roads through the countryside past Wanborough, Badbury and Medbourne, so please do not cross the course while runners are on it, and follow the marshals at all times.

Parking is available at the Polo Ground, roughly a 10 minute walk from the Event Village. This parking area is free. If you wish to park at Coate Water car park, this will be closed until 9:30, after you are welcome to park there but please be aware you will need to pay for parking on the PayByPhone app.

Dogs: dogs are not permitted to run with participants, but spectators are welcome to bring dogs along. We just ask that they are kept on a lead at all times.

Accessibility

Wheelchair athletes and buggy runners are welcome. Please stay mindful of the runners around you and make yourself known if you need to overtake.

The route is on closed roads throughout: mostly flat for the first 5 miles, undulating from miles 5 to 10 with a sustained climb between approximately miles 8 and 10, then dropping away towards the finish.

Running with a dog (canicross) is not permitted at this event.

If you have accessibility needs we should know about before the day, email info@runthrough.co.uk and we will do what we can to help.

Dogs

Dogs are not permitted to run at this event, however spectators are welcome to have their dog within the event village if kept on a lead at all times.