The Big End of Year Run: What you need to know about the run

Not long now until the Big End of Year Run 2023. As ever, once Christmas is done, the presents are unwrapped and the turkey-eating marathon has been run, it’ll be time for our annual slow-and-social group plod around the streets and sights of London, returns for the 11th outing on the final morning of 2023. If you’ve never run with us or you wonder why anyone would possibly want to run a 5k, 10k or a half marathon on the morning of New Year’s Eve, here are all the details.

What is the Big End of Year Run?

The Big End of Year Run started in 2013. I was taking on a challenge to run a half marathon everyday in December and I asked my fellow Big Runner, Gareth Beavis, if he’d join me for the final 13.1 around the sights of London, just to make the end feel a bit more interesting. Gareth agreed and we had a cracking morning taking in all the top spots in London from Buckingham Palace to the London Eye. That year it was just the two of us.

The following year we decided to do it again but we both knew we needed more conversation. We invited a few mates to fill the awkward silences. That year there were four of us with a couple more runners who also said they’d really enjoyed it. So we did it again. And again. And again. And our ranks slowly swelled.

In 2018, we had more than 100 runners taking on the different distances. In 2019 that grew to well over 300 runners. In 2020, we had even more runners joining in virtually and this time from all around the globe.

In 2023, we’ll return to the streets of London and we’ll ask people to join us virtually in running 13.1 mile, 10km or 5km wherever they are.

Come and run

Head to the Big End of Year Run Facebook Event page to tell us you’ll be joining us.

The Big End of Year Run is not a race

This is important. This is not a race. It’s a group social run that welcomes people with a huge range of running abilities. It’s not a big official event, there are no drop bags, no medals and no inflatable start and finish lines, no water stations.

It’s a bunch of people turning up at Marble Arch on 31st December each year with good spirit and a shared passion – to run off some festive cobwebs before seeing in the New Year in style. Oh, and it’s free. You can just turn up and run.

No one gets left behind. That’s not our style.

We do our very best to run together as a group. The aim is to meet people, chat and have a good time, not to smash out a 1:20 personal best. We ask the faster runners to throttle back a bit. And for everyone to support everyone.

With the numbers growing, in recent years we’ve ended up running in two groups. It helps us to spread out and avoid swamping the other people trying to enjoy a brisk morning in London on New Year’s Eve.

But the aim is always to hold things together as much as possible. And no one gets left behind to run on their own. That’s just not how we do things. Everyone runs with someone.

The Big End of Year run route

The Big End of Year run route takes in some of London’s best running bits, through Hyde Park, Regents Park, up Primrose Hill for that killer view back to London – and a quick photo – before tracking back along the canal behind London Zoo (maybe some monkeys), past Marble Arch into Hyde Park for a loop and a fly-by of the Royal Albert Hall.

We pass Buckingham Palace, stride down the Mall, regroup at Horse Guards Parade before crossing Westminster Bridge with a look at the London Eye and the scaffolding on Big Ben, before sneaking behind the Southbank and over the Millennium Bridge for a loop back to Embankment.

If you’re travelling to London for New Year’s Eve and you want a quick sight-seeing run this is it.

It’s London, so we run some streets that are busy and a bit stop-start. But each year we’ve refined the route to try and make it the best combination of interesting, good for the odd photo but with run-able sections where you can chat without watching traffic.

Having said that, runners run at their own risk. This is not a fully organised event, it’s a group of people who are all slightly crazy going for a run on New Year’s Eve together.

There are many road crossings and many cars, bikes, pedestrians, lampposts. Please be smart and take it steady. We want everyone to get round safely. Don’t worry if the people you’re running with get across the road and you don’t, wait for the lights and our back marker will make sure to pick up.

How far is the Big End of Year Run?

Some of us run 13.1 miles, some 10km, some join for 5km.

Everyone is welcome and we run at paces that are good for the whole group. We have pick up points along the way for the 10km and 5km people, with Big End of Year Run helpers there to organise those. The 10km and 5km runners simply join the group as we swing by.

We also have people who know the route at the front, middle and the back of the pack and we give out mobile numbers so in the event that you get lost, you can call us to rejoin the group/tell us you’ve gone to the pub. But hopefully this won’t happen. No one gets left behind remember.

The Big End of Year Run 2023 start times and location

We ask half marathon runners to arrive at Marble Arch under the arch for 8.30am. After a brief, um, briefing we start running at 9am.

The 10km pick up point is outside the Italian Gardens Cafe in Hyde Park (Lancaster Gate Entrance).

The 5km pick up point is on Horse Guards Parade.

So those Big End of Year Run Start times again:

13.1 miles: Start is at 9.00am, Marble Arch – arrive 8.30am. We will leave promptly.
For the 10k: Pick up roughly between 10.00 – 10.30am – wait outside the Italian Gardens Cafe in Hyde Park (Lancaster Gate Entrance).
For the 5k: Pick up roughly between 10.45am – 11.15am – Wait on Horse Guards Parade

Don’t forget to keep an eye on the Facebook event page for updates.

What happens after the run?

We finish at Embankment Gardens. There are no medals. There isn’t really even a finish line. We’re not really that kind of event. But after the run, we open the traditional single bottle of Prosecco that I carry in my running backpack, before moving to one of London’s hostelries near Embankment (last year it was the All Bar One) to start the New Year celebrations with an as ‘swift-as-you-want’ post-run drink.

There’s a fantastic atmosphere, some people sip a softy, some people nurse a beer, others have been known to stay enjoying the post-run until 3pm! It’s all up to you. But you will meet great people, that’s a guarantee.

How do I ‘enter’ the Big End of Year Run?

That’s easy, just head to our Facebook page and hit the ‘Going’ button. Keep an eye out for updates and then turn up on the day.

Can I run the Big End of Year Run Virtually?

You certainly can. In 2020 we all ran our half marathons, 10km and 5km remotely and if you can’t make it to London but like the idea of being involved we’d love you to head out and log some miles no matter where you are in the world.

You can still join the Facebook community or our Strava run club. Or just run and post on Instagram and tag us in