Cambridge Half Marathon
The Cambridge Half Marathon: a 13.1-mile road race through the city and out to Grantchester, starting and finishing on Victoria Avenue beside Midsummer Common.
The Cambridge Half Marathon is a 13.1-mile road race through the heart of the city and out into the countryside. The course is flat and UKA certified, and the event is run by THE·TEAM from its own site.
Start, finish and event village
The race starts and finishes on Victoria Avenue. The event village stands on Midsummer Common, with direct access to the start line, and holds a bike park, bag storage, toilets, catering stalls, a charity village and an event stage.
The course
Landmarks on or beside the course include King's College, Trinity College, Jesus College, St John's College, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and the Orchard Tea Garden at Grantchester. The route makes a loop through the city centre, takes in the Backs and riverside stretches, then runs through open countryside around Grantchester and Trumpington before returning to town. Five drink stations are spread along the way, the first at St John's College at about 3.5 miles and the last on Bridge Street at about 12.3 miles.
When it takes place
The race is a Sunday event, and the dates the organiser has published fall in March. The mass start in the published event schedule is at 9:30am, with race pack collection on the Friday and Saturday before and a shake-out run on the Saturday. Road closures apply on race day, and the official site carries travel, park-and-ride and traffic information.
Entry
The event sells out quickly, and runners can join the mailing list to hear when entries open. Charity places are available through its partner charities. Check the official site for the current date, entry terms and route map.
Open spaces in the city are gathered in Running in Cambridge.
Places on or beside the route
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Midsummer Common
Landmark
Common land on the river Cam, site of a fair chartered in 1211 and a fireworks night.
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St John's College
College
A Tudor college on both banks of the Cam, with a gate, a hall and the Bridge of Sighs.
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King's College
College
Henry VI's college, with its Chapel, its choir and the lawn running down to the Backs.
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Trinity College
College
Henry VIII's merged foundation, with the Great Gate, Great Court and Wren Library.
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Jesus College
College
A former nunnery, with a chapel that predates the university and a walled 'Chimney' entrance.
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Fitzwilliam Museum
Museum
The University of Cambridge's art and antiquities museum, in a Grade I listed building with free entry.
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Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Park
A 16-hectare university garden, on its present site since 1831, with over 8,000 plant species and a lake.
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The Backs
Landmark
The riverside college lawns and bridges behind the Cambridge colleges, listed as a Grade I historic park.