Run Bournemouth 2026: dates, routes and seafront closures

Run Bournemouth, the running festival that grew out of the Bournemouth Marathon Festival, is on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October 2026. The half marathon runs on the Sunday, with the shorter distances on the Saturday, according to the organisers.

The courses use the seafront, which is the point of the event and also the reason it closes roads. Sections of Southbourne, Boscombe and the town centre are shut to traffic for the duration of the racing, with the closures coordinated with BCP Council, and the organisers write to residents and businesses along the route beforehand.

If you are running

The seafront course is flat by the standards of British road races, with the climbs at the ends where the route leaves the promenade. October on the south coast is usually mild and often wet; the Bournemouth in autumn guide covers what to expect. The practical advice from anyone who has done it: stay within walking distance of the start so the road closures are somebody else's problem.

If you are staying that weekend

• Driving in on the Sunday morning is slow. Arrive on the Saturday, or come by train: the getting to Bournemouth from London guide has the options, and Bournemouth station is outside the closures.
• The promenade is the course. Walkers and cyclists share the seafront with several thousand runners; the beach itself is open, and the Southbourne and Boscombe ends are the best places to watch.
• Cafés on the front are busy and open. Race weekend is one of the best trading weekends of the autumn for the seafront kiosks.

Flexiestays' hotels are on the West Cliff, on the town-centre end of the course, which is a short walk from the start and finish areas. Where to stay in Bournemouth compares the neighbourhoods, and the events calendar has the rest of the month.