Run the Royal Parks Half Marathon with us

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We have an opportunity for two members of our community to support the frontiers of new music and sound while pushing their own physical frontier.

Enter our ballot for a chance to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon in support of Sound and Music on Sunday 11 October 2026.

The Royal Parks Half Marathon

The Royal Parks Half Marathon is one of the most popular and inclusive running events in the UK. With 16,000 runners, incredible crowd support, live music and activations along the route, and an iconic finish line between the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall, it’s a truly special race day experience.

The course takes in some of London’s most famous landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Marble Arch and the Houses of Parliament, while winding through four Royal Parks: Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens. The event is designed to be welcoming and accessible for everyone. With no elite field, excellent accessibility provision, and a strong focus on inclusivity and sustainability, it’s an ideal half marathon for both first-time runners and seasoned athletes alike.

It’s an immediate sellout each year but we have two places secured for runners to raise money and run for Sound and Music – investing in the creators and cultures of new music.

Help us fund a young participant on In the Making

Our target is to fundraise £3,000 together to go towards our In the Making Young Creator Bursary Fund, paying for one young participant from a low-income household to attend In the Making in 2027.

Each runner will have a minimum target of £500 and will join our Chief Executive, Will Dutta, who has committed to raise £1,500, and one of our External Advisors, Charlotte Gray.

“Running has been a perfect excuse to explore the North Downs near my home. I do some of my best thinking and listening on these routes. I have recently begun to push myself to greater distances and with the Canterbury 10-miler under my belt this year, the challenge of running a half finally seems in reach. I can’t think of a better motivation than to raise money for Sound and Music alongside three others from our wider community.”

– Dr Will Dutta, Chief Executive

The Royal Parks Half Marathon is one of the UK’s strongest fundraising events. In 2025 alone, over £8.5 million was raised for charities, and the average runner raised more than £800 including Gift Aid. With the right plan and our support, you’ll hit £500 with no problem at all!

How it works

It couldn’t be easier – enter now by completing our short form letting us know why you’d like to run for Sound and Music and your fundraising target.

All entries will be placed in a ballot and two winners will be drawn at random.

The process works as follows:

Secure your place
If selected, we’ll ask you to confirm your place and commit to the £500 fundraising target.
Set up your fundraising page
We’ll help you set up your online fundraising page and share tips on how to get started.
Train, fundraise and have fun
Lace up, spread the word, and get ready to take on one of the UK’s most iconic half marathons.

Key Dates

Ballot opens: Monday 13 April
Ballot closes: Thursday 30 April
All entrants informed by: Monday 11 May
Race day: Sunday 11 October

The race day experience

On race day, you can look forward to:

A scenic, closed-road route through central London
Live music, cheer points and sponsor activations along the course
A buzzing Event Village with food vendors, entertainment, baggage facilities and meeting points
A strong commitment to sustainability, including eco-friendly medals and shirts, reduced waste and carbon-conscious food options
Excellent accessibility, including accessible routes, facilities, viewing areas and clear event communications

It’s a high-energy, feel-good event with tens of thousands of spectators and supporters creating an unforgettable atmosphere.

Why run for Sound and Music?

Our mission is to be the base camp for anyone in the UK who wants to make, experience or support new music and sound to shape the modern world.

But we can only do this thanks to the generous support of our funders, partners and individual supporters. Now you can help us do more by breaking new ground yourself tackling a fun active challenge in a stunning location.

Ready to enter?

Enter now and help us raise £500 – and beyond – for the future of music.

If you’re not successful in the Royal Parks ballot, we have a whole calendar of Active Challenges across the year and the UK that you could raise money to support our work.

Other ways to support us

If Active Challenges aren’t your thing but you would like to support our work with the next generation of music makers you can still donate to our Young Creators Bursary Fund yourself.

Got more questions? Email us at fundraising@dev.soundam.camart.co.uk.