London Half & 10k: Course, Route Profile & Map

Course & Elevation

Start and finish are beside London Stadium, where the event village also sits. From there the route runs through the southern part of the park past the ArcelorMittal Orbit and the London Aquatics Centre, then north to the Copper Box Arena, Lee Valley VeloPark and the hockey and tennis centre. Rather than one big circuit, the course strings together turnarounds and loops, so you cover many paths two or three times before heading back to the stadium.

The ground only ranges between about 6 and 12 m above sea level. The roughly 90 m of ascent over the full distance come from short ramps onto bridges and paths in the Lea valley, not from hills.

The appeal of the race is the venue: wide tarmac park paths between the Olympic venues, the water of the Lea valley and a flag at every kilometre. In late February, expect cold, wet weather and wind across the open park. The organiser strongly recommends arriving by public transport via Stratford.

Pacing Strategy

Because the course is flat, it is the layout rather than the terrain that sets your pace. The many turnarounds and tight bends each cost a few seconds of momentum. Run them smoothly and ease back up to goal pace afterwards rather than sprinting out of every hairpin.

The second half from about km 12 decides the race. The paths repeat, the field spreads out, and the kilometre flags tell you plainly whether you are holding pace. Stay mentally switched on here and your second half will be even.

The trap is the 9:00 start: in the crowded first kilometres in the park, with the stadium behind you, it is easy to go out too fast. Use the first two kilometres to settle in, and find a group for the open, windy stretches in the north of the park.

Training plan for London Half & 10k: 12-week build

Most age-group runners take between about 1:30 and 2:30 here. That is a steady aerobic effort just below threshold, with no climbs to break up heart rate and pace, but with many small changes of speed at the turnarounds.

What matters is holding goal pace through the second half. Build in threshold runs of 20 to 40 minutes and put race-pace blocks into long runs of 16 to 20 kilometres, ideally towards the end when your legs are already tired.

Because the course has so many turns, it pays to train now and then on a short out-and-back and practise getting back up to speed after turning. Short strides keep your stride relaxed for it.

The build falls in December, January and February. Train in cold, wet and dark conditions in the kit you plan to race in, and plan a warm-up that really gets you ready at low temperatures; the organisers run a group warm-up in the event village.