DURING THE RACE

Get your first look at the brand-new Oxford Half 2025 route here.

Volunteers will be handing out water or Powerade at aid stations along the course. 

3.8 miles – Water cups & refill 

6.5 miles – Powerade & refill 

7.7 miles - Water cups & refill 

10.1 miles - Water cups & refill 

11.4 miles - Water cups & refill 

All water and Powerade is served in 100% recyclable cups. Please try to dispose of your cups into the large bins placed to the side of the road just after each aid station. Please only take one cup at a time. Cups that don’t make it into the bins are much harder to recycle, so we’re hoping you can all help us be as green as possible. 

If you are not planning to take water, please try to keep to the opposite side of the road to allow other runners through. The water station is long, so there’s no need to rush to the first table. 

Once the runners have crossed the start line, family, friends, and fans will be able to track participants throughout the route on the official Oxford Half App. This is available to download via the Apple App Store & Google Play Store.  

The App will contain participant tracking, spectator info, course maps & more! 

Please note, your name may not appear in the tracking up until just before the race starts. 

Look out for volunteers in their red hi-vis positioned along the route and at key turning points, as well as cheering you on they will help with general directions for runners and spectators. 

In the event of an emergency, runners will be asked to move to the side of the road to allow access for an emergency vehicle. Please follow any instructions given by course marshals, at all times. 

The medical centre is located shortly after the finish line. Professional medical staff will be available here, as well as on the course.

Medical staff will also be located at the aid stations, should a runner face difficulty. There will also be a medical information point located at the help desk should you have any concerns about a runner.

If you feel unwell during the race, please stop and find your nearest race marshal or aid station.

Each mile will be clearly marked on the route. There will also be smaller kilometre markers every 5km. 

Our friendly photographers at Marathon Photos will be taking your pictures on course, as well as at the finish line. Look out for the “smile for the camera” signs and be sure to give the photographers a wave or thumbs up if you’re feeling the love.

We will send you a pre-race email with a link to invite your friends and family to view your photos as you run, plus an email with a link to purchase your photos after the event. Every time you pass a Marathon Photos photographer, you could have photos online within seconds. 

Make your Oxford Half medal even more special by engraving your medal with your name and finishing time.  

To add an iTAB pre-event, head to Let’s Do This, enter your booking reference, and find the 'Edit your registration information' page. Scroll to the bottom of this page, then click continue, scroll down slightly to the iTAB image, select the image and change your selection. You can then complete check out.  

iTABs are posted 2-3 weeks after the event. If it has been more than 3 weeks and it hasn’t arrived, you can get in touch with us. 

With thousands of you running, we need to manage the race timings carefully. Therefore, any runners going a little slower, who are predicted to finish after 13:45, may be asked to move to the pavement so that we can get Oxford moving again! The sweep team will be there to support anyone post 13:45. 

We’ve lined the course with live bands, DJs, and local performers to keep you motivated and lift the spirits of runners and spectators alike. To make the most of it - and to ensure you don’t miss any important safety announcements - we recommend leaving your headphones at home and soaking up the energy of Oxford. 

Lined up so far we have: 

• Tune Trucks 

• City of Oxford Silver Band 

• Rock Choir 

• The Bierkeller Boys 

• All About the Groove 

• Taiko Oxford (Taiko Oxford (affiliated with Tamashii School of Taiko) 

• DJ G 

• Premier Sound Entertainment 

• Nick Gill - Oxford Classic Jazz 

Throughout the planning of the Oxford Half, we’ve been working closely with the Thames Valley Police to ensure we keep everyone safe and secure. As well as our teams of staff and volunteers, we have security staff in position at all key areas and around the entire Half Marathon race route. These security staff and police officers are there to help the day run smoothly. 

There will be toilet facilities positioned in the Event Village before you head to the start line. There will also be toilets positioned at the aid stations on the route. 

We encourage you to consider managing your own hydration and running ‘self-sufficient’ by bringing a running water bottle. There will be water cups available at the aid stations on the race route; however, if you’d prefer to bring your own bottle, there will also be refill points within the event village and at the aid stations. 

We’re proud to welcome wheelchair athletes to the Oxford Half. Please be aware that wheelchair participants will be sharing the course with all runners.

If you are overtaking, take extra care to give plenty of space and avoid cutting across their line. Likewise, if a wheelchair athlete is overtaking you, keep to your line and allow them to pass safely.