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Phoenix in Flight at The Big Half
Friday 11th September 2026
The Big Half is a popular half marathon that takes place in London every September. The route takes runners on a reverse section of the London Marathon. Highlights of the route include running across Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, and finishing at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
The alarm went off at 4:45am. Not exactly the ideal start to a race day, especially with an 8:30am start in Wave 1, but after getting up, getting everything ready and making the early journey from Brighton, I was on my way to London for my fourth Big Half.
The race is always a nostalgic one for me. I lived in Lewisham/Greenwich for ten years, so running through an area that used to be home makes the race feel particularly special, plus I know where all the pot-holes are!
This year, I arrived at the start with slightly different expectations. I’m currently training for Amsterdam Marathon, but my build-up hasn’t been ideal. I’ve been struggling with a knee/hip injury, which has affected both my training and my confidence going into the race. Rather than chasing a big PB, the main goal was simply to put together a solid run and see what happened.
The weather certainly didn’t make things any easier. It was a hot day, but the crowds were fantastic and created a brilliant atmosphere all the way around the course. The support is one of the things that makes The Big Half such an enjoyable race, and it helped on some of the tougher sections hearing “Come on Phoenix”, which always gives you a push.
I eventually crossed the finish line in 1:28:44, finishing in 922nd place out of 17,876 finishers. Getting under 90 minutes was a huge win for me, particularly considering the injury problems and the training I’ve missed over the past few months.
Overall, it wasn’t my fastest Big Half, but it was an enjoyable and memorable one. I’ll be back next year and hopefully chasing a PB again! Now it’s back to training and hopefully a healthier few weeks ahead of Amsterdam Marathon on 18th October.
Brighton Phoenix runners at The Big Half 2026:
- Sam Cook: 01:06:57
- Tom Clemons: 01:24:02
- James Cuddy: 01:29:47
- George Heslop: 01:28:44
- Steve Francis: 01:45:47
- Jenny Hirst: 01:50:58
