The Bath Half Marathon (stylised as BATHALF) is an annual road runninghalf marathon held in Bath, England, normally on the second or third Sunday in March. It has been held almost every year since 1982. The race was first run in the year after the first London Marathon and has remained a popular race for runners preparing for that event. The next race is scheduled for Sunday 15 March 2026.
It is the largest one-day charity fundraising event in South West England, raising over £2.2 million for charity in 2016.[2][3]
Course
Main group of runners in 2009, on Pulteney Road, Widcombe
The Bath Half is a fast flat course, straddling both sides of the River Avon. The race starts and finishes at Royal Victoria Park.
The route follows two laps from the park, first heading westbound out of the city centre along the A4 road (Upper Bristol Road and Newbridge Road) to Newbridge and crossing the 'New Bridge' at the 'Twerton Fork' at the beginning of the dual carriageway. From here the race heads eastbound on the A36 back towards the city centre, along Lower Bristol Road, past Churchill Bridge, then continues up Rossiter Road and Pulteney Road South, before going into Great Pulteney Street, U-turning at the former start and finish location and heading back down to Churchill Bridge via the same route to complete the out-and-back section.
The route then crosses the River Avon via the Churchill Bridge, heads past the city centre and Green Park via the A367, before cutting through Monmouth Place to re-join Upper Bristol Road and begin the second lap.
The second lap follows largely the same route as the first, however, the out-and-back section is not included for a second time, and the route makes a direct left turn at the Churchill Bridge instead.
At the Monmouth Place, the route breaks-off from the main loop and continues straight-on up Chapel Row, Queen Square and Queen's Parade as the incline begins to steepen. The route then heads up the only significant hill in the course: the final climb up Royal Avenue back into the park. The incline flattens-out for the final 200 metres of the route where it finishes in front of the Royal Crescent.
Course history
The course used largely the same route from 2006 to 2020, starting and finishing on Great Pulteney Street with Bath Recreation Ground as the race headquarters.
In 2022, the race relocated to Royal Victoria Park, starting at nearby Queen Square and finishing in the park, next to the new race village. The new course followed largely the same roads, but in a 'different order'. The out-and-back section along Great Pulteney Street was introduced, with the direction of the main loop being reversed; the route ran westbound along Lower Bristol Road and eastbound along Newbridge Road and Upper Bristol Road, finishing with a sharp incline up Marlborough Lane.
In 2023, the course was revised again: the start and finish were both moved to the park's Royal Avenue, and the main loop was switched back to its traditional direction.
Leading runners in 2006, Simon Tonui and Simon Kasimili
Effects of COVID-19 pandemic
The 2020 event faced criticism after it went ahead on despite the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly increasing; the UK went into lockdown nine days after the race took place.
A number of organisations pulled out, and local MP Wera Hobhouse called for it to be cancelled, saying "protecting the most vulnerable in our city from a further spread of the infection must be the priority." Organisers denied accusations they were irresponsible, and the event took place with half the usual number of participants.[13] Bath MP Wera Hobhouse later said lives probably would have been saved had the event been cancelled, but the "organiser had no guidance from Government to stop the event." Bath Half race director said "We are not aware of any data or evidence linking outdoor participation events such as the Bath Half with the spread of COVID-19, or with any fatalities from COVID-19 ... In the absence of any such data this type of discussion could be regarded as speculation, even scaremongering."[14]
The 2021 event was first postponed to September, and then cancelled in April 2021 owing to uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 restrictions, combined with planned road closures for improvement works.[15]
The 2022 event was originally scheduled for 13 March, but the race was subsequently pushed back to 29 May due to "pressure on the highways" while extensive roadworks were ongoing in the city. The race was then postponed for a third time, being moved to 16 October.
The 2023 event remained at the autumn date, taking place on 15 October, and in 2024 the race returned to its traditional March date for the first time since the pandemic.
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