Frequently Asked Questions

The public ballot for the 2026 Royal Parks Half Marathon opens on Monday 26 January and closes on Friday 6 February at 17:00 GMT.

The ballot closes on Friday 6 February at 17:00 GMT.

The ballot closes on Friday 6 February at 17:00 GMT. Results will be announced via email on Thursday 12 February. 

Successful participants must confirm and register their place before Monday 2 March at 17:00 GMT or they will forfeit the place.

The entry fee is £66 + £4.95 admin fee (£70.95 in total).

Yes, you can still participate in the Royal Parks Half if you are unsuccessful in the ballot. 

Each year we have hundreds of charity partners you can fundraise for by running the Royal Parks Half. You’ll be able to find out which charities have places to offer in February here.

Yes, you can enter the ballot completely free and it only takes a few minutes.

For UK residents, there is an option to Pay Now if you wish to be entered into the ‘second chance’ draw, however, this is optional and does not influence the first draw ballot results.

If you choose the 'Pay Now' option, this does not guarantee you a place in the race. The benefit of paying up-front is that if you do not receive a race place through the first ballot draw, you will be entered into the "second chance" draw. If you are unsuccessful in the "second chance" draw, your entry fee and admin fee becomes a donation to The Royal Parks.

The Royal Parks is the charity that conserves and enhances London’s eight Royal Parks, now and for the future. Find out more about the charity that your donation will help support here.

The entry fee is £66 + £4.95 admin fee (£70.95 in total).

Please note, if you are entering the ballot for those who reside outside the UK, you are not eligible for the second chance draw and will only be able to pay for your place if successful in the ballot.

During ballot registration, all UK residents have the option to ‘Pay Now’ or ‘Pay Later’

Pay Now 
This does not guarantee you a place in the race. The benefit of paying up-front is that if you do not receive a race place through the first ballot draw, you will be entered into the "second chance" draw.
If you are unsuccessful in the "second chance" draw, your entry fee and admin fee becomes a donation to The Royal Parks.

The Royal Parks is the charity that conserves and enhances London’s eight Royal Parks, now and for the future. Find out more about the charity that your donation will help support here.

Pay Later  
You’ll be entered into the first ballot draw only, and if successful, you’ll be invited to complete your registration and payment to confirm your place.

The entry fee is £66 + £4.95 admin fee (£70.95 in total)

Please note, if you are entering the ballot for those who reside outside the UK, you are not eligible for the second chance draw and will only be able to pay for your place if successful in the ballot.

We have a separate ballot for runners who reside outside the UK with the aim of reducing air travel by participants in the Royal Parks Half as this will have a significant impact on reducing our carbon footprint. You can read more about this here.

If you are entering the ballot and reside outside the UK, you will need to use the ballot form for those who reside outside the UK when it opens on Monday 26 January.

If you are entering the ballot and are a UK resident, you will need to use the ballot form for UK residents.

Those who reside outside the UK do not have the option to pay up front in the ballot and the entry fee will only apply to those who are successful in receiving a place.

Those who enter the ballot using the Microsoft Edge browser often experience issues so we would recommend using a different browser to enter the ballot.

Successful participants must confirm and register their place before Monday 2 March at 17:00 GMT or they will forfeit the place.