All three Marlow races start at 9.30am on Sunday 1 November 2026. Six roads including the High Street close 9am to 1pm, no buses. Half entry now from £32.

The 38th Marlow Half Marathon is on Sunday 1 November 2026, and all three races start together at 9.30am from Marlow High Street. Entries are open, and Marlow Town Council has already listed the day on its temporary traffic order page, so the closures are going ahead.

Updated 29 September: the road closure order has been published, covering six roads from 9am to 1pm with no bus access, and the first price tier has ended, so the Half is now £32 affiliated.

The event is run by Marlow Striders, not by a promoter, and it caps at 2,000 entries across all three races.

The three races

Race Distance Terrain Minimum age
Marlow Half Marathon 13.1 miles Virtually traffic-free country lanes 17
The Frankenstein About 10km One third road, two thirds trail 18
Marlow 7 7 miles Virtually traffic-free country lanes 16

All three start on the historic High Street in Marlow and finish at Marlow Sports Club. The Half takes in the Chiltern Hills and the Hambleden Valley. The Frankenstein, now in its fourth year, is named after the novel Mary Shelley finished while living in Marlow, and includes the climb the organisers call Frankenstein’s Bolt. The Frankenstein has its own cap of 400 entries.

Entry prices

The organisers run tiered pricing. The early tier ended at 23:59 on Sunday 6 September 2026, so the 7 September to 31 October prices now apply until race day.

Until 6 Sep 7 Sep to 31 Oct Race day
Half Marathon, affiliated £28.50 £32 £37
Half Marathon, non-affiliated £30.50 £34 £39
Frankenstein or Marlow 7, affiliated £22.50 £25 £30
Frankenstein or Marlow 7, non-affiliated £24.50 £27 £32

“Affiliated” means a member of an England Athletics affiliated club. Entries of three or more get a further discount.

Entry is online only, including on the morning of the race. Race day entries are subject to availability, close at 9am, and carry a £5 surcharge on top of the prices above.

Race numbers can be collected the week before at Runners Retreat in Marlow, or on the day at Race HQ. International runners are not posted a pack; collect it at one of those two points.

The rules that catch people out

Headphones are banned. UKA competition rules prohibit them on shared-usage courses, and the organisers say plainly that 15 runners were disqualified in 2025 for wearing them. Bone conduction headphones that leave the ear unobstructed are allowed.

There is a three hour limit on every race, and the Half has a new enforced diversion this year. Any runner not past the four mile point by 10.30am will be sent onto a short cut that removes about 4km, including the climb up Pheasant Hill. Times are not recorded for runners who take it. Four miles by 10.30am is a pace slower than 15 minutes a mile, so it is a back-marker cut-off rather than a competitive one, but it is now enforced.

No dogs on the course, no buggies, and the courses are not suitable for wheelchairs. Dogs are allowed in the race village on a lead.

Road closures and the Henley Road crossing

Marlow Town Council’s temporary road closures page now links the special event traffic order application Marlow Striders filed with Buckinghamshire Council. It asks for road closures from 9am to 1pm on Sunday 1 November 2026 on:

  • High Street
  • Pound Lane
  • West Street
  • Oxford Road
  • Chalkpit Lane
  • Penwood Road

Emergency services keep access. Buses do not, so any service that normally runs through Marlow High Street or West Street will be diverted or held for the morning. Right Guard is handling the signing.

The organisers flag one point on the course as a live safety issue. Within half a mile of the finish, the route crosses the A4155 Henley Road into Pound Lane. That is a busy road, and it is managed by a professional traffic management company using STOP/GO signs plus marshals. Runners are told to use the official crossing point only, and that ignoring a marshal there means disqualification.

If you are driving in Marlow that Sunday morning, plan around those six roads until 1pm, and expect queues on the A4155 Henley Road where it meets Pound Lane. Our roadworks and travel page tracks the week’s closures across the district.

Parking on the day

The organisers are running event parking again in 2026, with more spaces than last year, aimed at the Marlow Industrial Estate area. It is about a 10 minute walk to and from Race HQ, and they say the full detail will be published closer to race day.

If you are parking in the town instead, note that Marlow’s council car parks charge on Sundays like the rest of the district. Our parking guide has the tariffs.

Race village and what is included

The race village opens at 7.15am. Entry includes a chip-timed bib, live online results and a results text, baggage drop, a medal, drink stations on course and at the finish, post-race food and drink, an awards ceremony, a downloadable finisher certificate, toilets and changing facilities.

Race shirts are not included as standard. That is deliberate: the organisers dropped them to cut the entry fee, and sell a 2026-design long-sleeved shirt in female and unisex fits for £14 instead. A post-race sports massage is £13.50 pre-booked, £15 on the day, with the proceeds going to the charities. Event photography by Charles Whitton Photography is free after the event.

The 2026 proceeds go to Brighter Futures Together, Stamp Out Suicide and Marlow Sports Club, which is fundraising for a full clubhouse redevelopment.

One thing to ignore on the official site

The race’s own FAQ page still answers the question “what date does the race start?” with “The race is on 3rd November”. That is a leftover from an earlier year. The home page, the entry page and Marlow Town Council all give Sunday 1 November 2026. The same FAQ page also still has a placeholder where the race village location should be.

Sources

All race details were read on 5 September 2026 from marlowhalfmarathon.co.uk, specifically its registration, half marathon, Frankenstein, Marlow 7, information and FAQ pages. The road closure listing and the traffic order application are from Marlow Town Council’s temporary road closures page, read on 29 September 2026, when we also re-checked the race’s entry, volunteer and charity pages.