Royal Parks half marathon: Route, start time and everything you need to know

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London’s prettiest half marathon returns this weekend with thousands set to take to the capital’s streets.

The Royal Parks run takes in some of the city’s most famous landmarks and four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, Green Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens.

Last year the race was voted the "best new event of the decade" by Runner’s World and every plastic bottle used on the course was recycled – no easy feat, given there were 16,000 runners.

This year, the 11th edition of the race, there’s an extra eco-push and participants are being urged to be more sustainable by using a reusable water bottle, sourcing their food locally or recycling an old pair of trainers.

It’s all part of run's new #greenrunners campaign to score the race some added eco points – and points mean prizes: use the #greenrunners hashtag on your sustainable running snaps and you’ll be in for a chance to win a £50 Runners Need gift card, a Winter Wonderland wristband or a £250 personal shopping experience at lululemon on Regent Street, an official race partner.

Organisers are doing their bit too: this year, 100,000 plastic bottles have been removed from the course and festival area, goody bags will be reusable and the runner’s guide is now digital, eliminating the 16,000 booklets that were printed in previous years. Race t-shirts are made from sustainable bamboo and upcycled plastic bottles – green in more ways than one.

Whether running the race or coming along to show support, here's our ultimate guide to the day.

Popular pastime: the run drew more than 16,000 people last year
PA

When is it and what's the start time?

The race takes place this Sunday October 14, starting at 9am. It’s an early alarm for a Sunday but it’s worth getting there early as there’ll be large crowds.

The festival opens at 7.30am and there’s a fun warm-up on the main stage at 8.30am. Afterwards, enjoy live music and onstage entertainment from eight-piece brass bands to rock choirs, until 3pm.

Spot of sightseeing: the runners will pass by Buckingham Palace

Where is it and what's the route?

For any Royal Parks returners, the route is the same as last year, starting and finishing at the same point on the southern edge of Hyde Park, called South Carriage Drive. The closest station is Knightsbridge.

Runners will go through Green Park and St James’ Park before paying a quick visit to Downing Street. They’ll then head along the Strand to Somerset House and loop back past Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.

From there it’s back into Green Park and through Wellington Arch, before returning to Hyde Park and taking a winding path into Kensington Gardens. The home straight takes in the Royal Albert Hall, before (hopefully) a sprint to the finish.

To see the map in full, visit royalparkshalf.com

Who’s running?

16,000 brave runners will take to the start line this year while many thousands more will be spectating.

Alongside those running, a number of celebrities will also be attempting the 13.1 mile course, including Jo Whiley, Alice Liveing and Sophie Raworth. Katie Piper will be starting the race and taking part, and look out for Love Island 2018 contestants Laura Crane and Charlie Brake on the start line too.

Where to watch

If you’re coming along to watch or support, the Mall is a good viewing spot. Position yourself on the Serpentine Road you’ll see runners go past twice.

For those who’d rather wait in the event village, there’ll be plenty of goodies and entertainment at the Food and Fitness Festival at the start and finish lines.

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How to get there

It’s going to be busy, so plan ahead. By tube, the nearest stations are Hyde Park Corner (on the Piccadilly Line), Knightsbridge (Piccadilly Line), Marble Arch (Central Line) and Lancaster Gate (Central Line).

The shortest walk is from Knightsbridge – technically, it should only take 12 minutes, but bear in mind this will probably be the most popular stop and therefore the busiest.

By bus, take the 6, 7, 10, 16, 52, 73, 390 or 141 if you’re coming from the north, and 2, 36 or 137 from the south. If you’re coming from the east take the 30, 38, 274, and from the west your best bets are the 9, 10, 14, 19, 22, 52, 74, 148 and 414.

There’s no designated parking, so it’s strongly recommended you don’t drive. Many roads will also be closed before, during and after the race. If you’re confused or want advice, call TFL or check its website in advance.

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What to wear

Temperatures on Sunday are currently expected to be a mild 14 or 15 degrees, so you shouldn’t need anything thicker than a t-shirt – lululemon, a partner of the race, has a tee designed specifically for this year’s Royal Parks: a sweat-wicking black cap sleeved number with a logo on the sleeve (£58, shop.royalparkshalf.com), and there are long-sleeved options too for keeping warm on the start line.

Pair it with Sweaty Betty’s All Train Bra (£30, sweatybetty.com), which has free cut edges that are bonded instead of stitched to eliminate chaffing, while ILU’s Vitality Crop (£40, ilufitwear.com) has a high neck and narrow straps if you want to keep the layers to a minimum.

ILU’s Sunrise Capri Leggings (£47, ilufitwear.com) will help you stand out from the crowd or for something more neutral Sweaty Betty’s new black bum-sculpting Zero Gravity 7/8 Run Leggings feature a colour stripe on both sides and compression technology specifically for running (£95, sweatybetty.com). Zone 3 also has a whole compression range, from tights to shorts to tees, to help prevent injury (zone3.com), while Biofreeze spray (£8.99, biofreeze.co.uk) will help to relieve any pains or sprains after the race.

Shoes are the most important piece of kit you’ll wear on the day. You should have these already but Nike’s Zoom Pegasus Turbo is a wonder race-running option, with a special feather-light upper that’s built for speed (£159.95, nike.com), while the Asics Roadhawk is a nice cushioned pavement pounder (£105, asics.com). adidas’ Solar Glide trainers are perfect for a half marathon distance and feature a rubber outsole for good traction in the light rain that’s currently forecast (£105, runnersneed.com), and if you tend to find your feet sliding around in your shoes, their Parley range has a tight sock-type fit with super springy cushioning (£149.95, adidas.co.uk). They’re made of a yarn made from recycled ocean plastic, too – perfect green age kicks for a green age race.