Bournemouth Half Marathon
Bournemouth, Dorset
11 Oct 2026
⚠ Start times change frequently. Always check with race organiser or their website for this year's confirmed start time before travelling.
Course map
Map adapted from official race's website
Elevation profile
About this race
The Bournemouth Half Marathon starts near Hengistbury Head and finishes at Bournemouth Pier Approach, running along the Dorset coastline as the headline event of the Run Bournemouth weekend. The first five miles follow the clifftops above Poole Bay, giving panoramic sea views, before the course descends to the seafront and continues along the promenade towards Boscombe Pier. A short climb at the eight-mile mark is the main test on an otherwise flat and fast route, after which the course returns to the clifftops for views of Bournemouth Pier before finishing back on the seafront. The surface is entirely road and promenade, and the course takes in both Boscombe and Bournemouth Piers along the way. Its flat, seaside profile and October timing make it a popular choice for both first-time half marathoners and experienced runners chasing a personal best, finishing amid a lively crowd near the pier.
Course profile & record eligibility
World Athletics record-eligibility rules cap net elevation loss at 1m per km of race distance, and require the start and finish to be no more than 50% of the race distance apart — both meant to stop a course gaining an unfair edge from downhill grade or a point-to-point tailwind. This is based on this course's recorded elevation and GPS data, not an official measurement or certification.