London Winter Run 2025: A runner’s guide to this frost-themed 10K
Running during the cold, slushy winter months can feel like a slog – but when you’re training for a warmly welcoming race in London that raises both your spirits and your body temperature in spite of its February setting, you’ll remember that it’s worth it.
The race in question is the London Winter Run. A much-loved 10K that winds around the heart of the capital, it will celebrate its 10th anniversary when it is next held on Sunday 23 February 2025. Offering a flat, landmark-filled course that is also saturated with live music performances and larger-than-life winter creatures (that need to be seen to be understood), the event attracted around 22,000 participants to its start line in 2024 and is set to be just as big when it rolls around again next year.
Here’s everything you know about this cheery, wintertime 10K – and why you should add it to your 2025 race calendar.
What is the London Winter Run?
Delivered in partnership with the charity Cancer Research UK, the London Winter Run is a 10K – or 6.2-mile – event that is open to runners of all abilities, from first-time racers, run-walkers and participants looking to enjoy the atmosphere more leisurely, to PB pursuers hoping to benefit from the fast, flat, fully-closed roads.
The London Winter Run has grown to become one of the largest and most popular 10K events in the UK and, since its first edition in 2015, has already accommodated more than 100,000 runners and raised more than £6 million for life-saving cancer research.
When is the 2025 London Winter Run?
Next year’s London Winter Run will take place on Sunday 23 February. Thanks to its timing, it’s the ideal event to kickstart your year of racing, if not a great 10K to complete as part of your training for a springtime half marathon or marathon.
What is the London Winter Run route?
While the closed-road route for 2025 has not yet be confirmed, you can expect a City of London course that is similar to – if not the same as – the one used for this year’s electric event.
Starting in Trafalgar Square, next to the grandiose National Gallery, the route then bears east along the Strand and up to Holborn before heading back down to the historic St Paul’s Cathedral. The course then weaves further east around Bank and Monument tube stations until it hits the halfway mark, at which point runners are guided back west – via another impressive close-up of St Paul’s Cathedral – and along the Strand to the finish line on Whitehall. As if the views of the Houses of Parliament up ahead weren’t good enough for the final stretch, runners will also enjoy a slight downhill gradient at the end of their 10K effort. Lovely!
What’s more, let’s just say that the London Winter Run very much makes ‘Winter’ the focal point of the occasion. In addition to a suite of iconic London landmarks, runners can look out for various jovial, winter-themed characters along the way, all of whom offer cheers and motivation in abundance. The 2024 race saw polar bears, penguins, huskies and even yetis descend upon the route to offer runners some all-important roadside support, with live music also soundtracking people’s runs. The event organisers promise even more ‘snowy surprises’ for 2025, so even London Winter Run returners can enjoy something new next year.
Can I drop off my bag before the race?
Yes – each runner will receive a recyclable drawstring bag in their race pack, which will be posted to them before the event and also include their bib number. Bags can be dropped off on the morning of the event, before the race starts, and then collected just after the finish line. Runners are encouraged to pack warm layers in their drop bags (the race is held in February, after all) and leave all valuables at home.
Are there any water stations along the route?
Be aware that, for sustainability reasons and to avoid waste, there will be no water stations along the route. Runners should therefore remember to bring their own water – should they need it during the run – and be mindful that the event won’t offer any refill stations. That said, every runner will still be offered water in a recyclable can at the finish line.
Will I get a medal at the finish line?
Absolutely. In fact, one of the race’s most fun attributes is the gloriously glittery, polar bear-emblazoned, snowflake-shaped medal that it awards runners at the finish line. Since the 2025 race will mark the event’s 10th anniversary, runners can look forward to receiving an especially jazzy medal.
How can I enter the 2025 London Winter Run?
According to the event organisers, only a fifth of entries for the 2025 London Winter Run remain, so be sure to register your place here before they sell out completely. There are a number of entry options, too – you can sign up as an individual, as a fundraiser or as part of a group of four to eight people (which will also give you a discount).
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