The Royal Parks Half in London, UK, has launched a search for a new headline sponsor ahead of the 2025 race.
The event, which takes place every October, saw a record number of ballot entries, a 43% increase on 2023. Demand is expected to increase further for the 2025 race when the ballot opens again in January 2025.
This October saw 16,000 runners tackle the 13.1-mile course, which sees participants take in some of London’s most prominent landmarks including Buckingham Palace, as well as four of London’s eight Royal Parks – Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens.
Since its inception, the event has raised over £70 million for over 1,200 UK charities. In 2024 it raised over £6.8 million on JustGiving, making it a record-breaking year for fundraising too.
In terms of sustainability, this year the half marathon saw 21% of participants chose to opt out of receiving a finisher’s T-shirt and instead contributed to planting snowdrops and wildflowers along the 13.1-mile route.
The race’s other sustainability initiatives include FSC Certified wooden medals, as well as saving old running shoes from landfill, and keeping the course free from plastic bottles since 2019.
The organising team note that a new headline sponsor of the Royal Parks Half would play a role in supporting the charity’s sustainability mission, aligning closely with the event’s ethos of promoting wellbeing, personal challenge, and being in nature.
Benefits for the headline sponsor include brand exposure through UK-wide digital and email campaigns and London-based out of home and print campaigns, complimentary race places, branded on-the-day activations, and hospitality opportunities within the event village in Hyde Park.
Head of the Royal Parks Half Marathon, Liz Tack, said “We are thrilled to share this exciting proposition as we launch our search for a new headline sponsor for The Royal Parks Half. This opportunity provides a potential sponsor the ability to align with an event that boasts outstanding sustainability and charitable credentials, as well as providing year-long exposure both in the capital and across the UK.
“The 2025 race will once again return to the capital in October and is set to be our most in-demand ever, with record ballot entries expected from the passionate community of runners. We are committed to continuing to make our event as sustainable as possible so it’s a really exciting time to be welcoming a new headline sponsor to come on that journey with us in the years ahead.”
Existing partners of the Royal Parks Half include Sweaty Betty, Kingfisher Zero, JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, and JustGiving.
Interested parties should contact rphm-commercial[at]royalparks.org.uk for more information.
