Please note that this information is for the Hackney Half Marathon Event 2024. Keep an eye out for an updated version when more details are announced for 2025!

It goes without saying that packing your running shoes, clothing and any nutrition you'll be taking is an essential step for your preparation! If you're travelling on the day, staying overnight or longer, you may need more items, but here's a few helpful options for race day itself.

Sometimes, tapering or a few days away from running can leave your legs feeling like they've 'forgotten how to run'! Some runners swear by a very short, very easy run the day before a race—perhaps even just a mile or 1 km—to reassure themselves that they can still put one foot in front of the other - which is absolutely fine. If in doubt, stick to your plan or reach out for some advice in the last week or two of your training. We'll have our Runna Shakeout Run a few days before on Thursday, May 16th, so please keep an eye out for more details on our socials and our website here, it would be great to see you there!

Your main goals with your food intake in the days before the race should be carbohydrate-heavy to top up your glycogen stores in your muscles. You should aim for ½ of your meal to be made up of carbohydrates and try to replace snacks with other carb based options. Make sure you're hydrating well with water and perhaps electrolyte drinks and sticking to simple foods you enjoy, and probably nothing too spicy! Pasta, rice, potatoes and other easily digestible carbs are perfect choices! You may find your appetite reduces a little towards the end of your taper, with the reduction in your running volume, so don't eat to discomfort, but be sure to fuel well!

For further nutrition advice please read our Ultimate Running Nutrition Guide!

If not already considered, please also add a mobility session after the shakeout. This will help with some final stretches and give you an opportunity to relax before the sound of the start gun going off. Once stretched, fuelled, and prepared for race day, try to get an early night! Sleeping can be difficult the day before a big race, but do your best to ensure you're well-rested and raring to go!

For those of you running for a charity, firstly congratulations! Hackney Half generates a huge benefit for every charity, so well done on your amazing work! Be sure to soak in the support and well-wishes from the crowd as well as your friends and family in the lead up and on the day, you've earned it!

You may want to share a few last training updates, a few pictures, and reshare your charity donation page in the last few days, so reach out to your charity for more advice on the best way to do so too!

A picture with your medal at the finish is also a great way for some bonus donations, and you may just inspire someone else to tackle their first event too!

If you did not pay for race pack postage when registering, you will need to collect your race pack from the collection point in the Festival Village on the Saturday prior to the event - this will be found on Hackney Marshes, E9 5PF. Details about collection times will be shared in closer to race day on the Hackney Half Marathon Website here. Collection will not be possible on event morning (Sunday 19th).

The Hackney Festival village will be pitched up on Hackney Marshes, E9 5PF. The Sunday morning pre race buzz makes for a busy commute! We'd urge you to plan your journey well in advance due to the closure of all roads around the Half Marathon route at 06:30. You can reach the festival village from Clapton Station with a 30-minute walk, Hackney Wick and Homerton Stations in 20 minutes, Stratford Station in 25 minutes, and Leyton Station also in 20 minutes. There will also be numerous bike parking facilities within the Festival Village but don’t forget to bring an appropriate cable or chain lock!

The route starts and finishes in Hackney Marshes and winds through several areas of North East London including Hackney Downs, Dalston, and Victoria Park. For more information regarding the route, including first aid stations, water stations and more please check the official route map here!

Pacing can be tricky! With the party atmosphere of Hackney it can be easy to go off too hard so please be careful! Be sure to iron out any final details for how you're going to use Runna (whether on your phone or with another device), if you plan to use Audio Cues and much more!

Download any playlists in advance, if you plan to listen to music or a podcast, and be aware that, with such a large number of runners around you, you may have some issues with Bluetooth signals clashing with other devices! If you're using headphones, make sure these are suitable for running safely and consider leaving any music off for the first few miles/kilometres as things can be quite crowded on the roads! Equally, with such amazing crowds and support from fellow runners, you may want to soak it all in on your big Hackney Half race day, perhaps saving a few power ballads or pump-up jams for those tough latter stages around the Marshes!

Here are a few more tips on race pacing for you too!

One of the trickiest things on race day is meeting up with any friends or family who have come with you or are supporting you on the day! Leave any spectate spots planned for them, focusing on your run, and let them tell you where you might see them on the night before! After being presented with your medal, a goodie bag with a bottle of water and a snack (and a t-shirt if you've chosen one), you'll find yourself on Hackney Marshes!

With the tall buildings, huge numbers of people all recording their run and sending congratulatory messages and more, it's not uncommon to have problems with both your phone signal and GPS location finding/sharing. Helpfully you'll find a selection of large numbers on the Marsh. Choose one in advance, maybe your house number or another memorable number, to meet up with your friends more easily!

We're based at No 5 on the Village Map, below. Please come and say hey on the day! We'll have a recovery zone with Bean Bags, Free Snacks & Drinks and a Photo-booth 📸

By now you've certainly got plenty of experience recording your runs using Runna! We'd advise using the same method as you've been training with. With the tall buildings in London, as well as the sheer volume of your fellow runners with their devices too, you'll perhaps find clashes and issues with your GPS. You may also find that your completed run may be a little delayed uploading to Runna, as well as GPS hiccups or more, so be sure to save your activity and try refreshing your app with a good Wi-Fi connection or strong signal a little later!

Reach out to our Customer Experience team if you have further issues, with a dedicated inbox for us to help our Hackney Half Runnas!

Check out more tips on how to troubleshoot common GPS issues here too!

Make sure to stop by the Runna booth, located at Pitch 6, Hackney Marshes Centre, Homerton Road, E9 5PF. Our booth will be buzzing with activities from 09:00 to 17:00 on Saturday, 18th May, and all day Sunday during and after the race! Here’s what you can look forward to:

Whether you’re looking to gain some expert knowledge, recover after your run, or simply celebrate with us, the Runna booth is your go-to spot at the Hackney Half. See you there!

You've done it, 13.1 miles, 21.1 km completed and what a journey! Enjoy, celebrate, be sure to recover and remember the day fondly! 🏅

Hydrating, having a snack and loosening your shoelaces are all super helpful in the immediate aftermath of your race. Pop on that warm top you packed, make sure everyone can see your medal (you've earned it!) and have a little gentle stretch. Following the typical recovery from the long runs you've completed in training might not be as easy as normal, but be sure to take care of yourself!

Check out the video below for some more of our Coaches' top tips for race day!