Hackney Half Marathon 2026 road closures: all the essential information you need to plan ahead this weekend

Warning! East London’s roads are going to be teeming with tens of thousands of runners this weekend. The Hackney Half, the capital’s largest half marathon event, is back

As the name suggests, the race winds 13.1 miles all the way around the Hackney, starting and ending at Hackney Marshes and passing by Hackney Downs, London Fields and Victoria Park. More than 27,000 people will be taking part and thousands more will be cheerleading on the sidelines, so roads throughout the area will have to be shut off to vehicles accommodate them all. 

Most of the disruption will be on Sunday morning and all of the affected roads should be back up and running for cars by the evening. If you live in the area or were planning to travel there by car, here are all the road closure details you should know ahead of the Hackney Half 2026. 

RECOMMENDED: 
📍 The Hackney Half 2026 route and where to watch the race.
⏱️ Full schedule of Hackney Half start times and waves. 

When is the 2026 Hackney Half Marathon?

This year’s Hackney Half is happening on Sunday May 17. 

What time does the Hackney Half Marathon 2026 start?

The first wave of runners will set off at 9am. 

What time does the Hackney Half Marathon 2026 end?

Organisers expect the event to be over by midday. 

Which roads will be closed for the Hackney Half? 

Here’s the list of roads that will be be closed or partially closed for the Hackney Half. They’ll all be shut from 6.30am and start to reopen from 12.45pm. Organisers say all the roads will be back open to vehicles by 4pm. Some roads will also have parking suspensions in place from midnight until 4pm and will be clearly signposted. 

• Amhurst Road (parking suspension)
• Andrews Road
• Bayford Street (parking suspension)
• Berkshire Road (parking suspension)
• Brooksby’s Walk
• Cadogan Terrace (parking suspension)
• Cecilia Road
• Colvestone Crescent
• Cricketfield Road (parking suspension)
• Dalston Lane (parking suspension)
• Downs Road (parking suspension)
• Downs Park Road (parking suspension)
• Eastway
• Goldsmiths Row (parking suspension)
• Gore Road (parking suspension)
• Graham Road (parking suspension)
• Gransden Avenue (parking suspension)
• Grove Road
• Haggerston Road (parking suspension)
• Helmsley Place (parking suspension)
• Hepscott Road (parking suspension)
• Homerton High Street (parking suspension)
• Homerton Road (parking suspension)
• Kay Street (parking suspension)
• Kenworthy Road
• Lamb Lane (parking suspension)
• Lauriston Road (parking suspension)
• Lee Conservancy Road (parking suspension)
• London Lane (parking suspension)
• Lower Clapton Road (parking suspension)
• Mare Street
• Marsh Hill (parking suspension)
• Mentmore Terrace (parking suspension)
• Middleton Road (parking suspension)
• Monier Road
• Morning Lane (parking suspension)
• Osborne Road (parking suspension)
• Paragon Road
• Pembury Road (parking suspension)
• Ponsford Street
• Pritchard’s Road (parking suspension)
• Queensbridge Road
• Queensdown Road (parking suspension)
• Rectory Road (parking suspension)
• Rothbury Road
• Sandringham Road
• Scriven Street
• Semley Gate (parking suspension)
• Shacklewell Lane (parking suspension)
• Sheep Lane (parking suspension)
• Sidworth Street (parking suspension)
• St Mark’s Rise (parking suspension)
• Teale Street (parking suspension)
• Urswick Road (parking suspension)
• Valette Street (parking suspension)
• Victoria Park Road (parking suspension)
• Wallis Road (parking suspension)
• Wansbeck Road
• Warburton Road (parking suspension)
• Westgate Street (parking suspension)
• Whiston Road (parking suspension)
• White Post Lane (parking suspension)
• Wick Lane

Other closures 

Homerton station will be closed to eastbound trains from 7am until 11am on race day – you can use Hackney Wick station instead. 

The best places to watch the Hackney Half Marathon 2026

As a spectator, wherever you station yourself along the route, you’ll have a good time. But for maximum vibes, find a spot nearby one of the entertainment points. They are:  

• Miles 1 and 4.6: DJ Trucks – Tune Trucks 
• Mile 1.6: Hosen Brass Band 
• Miles 2.1 and 4.2: DJ G 
• Mile 3.1: La MixTrax Band 
• Mile 5.3: Hackney Empire Choir 
• Mile 6.2: Pop Choir
• Mile 6.9: Pantonic Orchestra 
• Mile 8: Brass Bound 

The 16 best freebies, perks and afterparties for runners in the Hackney Half this weekend.

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