Key Points
- Organisers of the Hackney Moves festival have reopened applications for the Hackney Academy scheme to give local residents free entry into the sold-out 2026 Hackney Half Marathon.
- The 2026 Hackney Half, part of the Hackney Moves weekend, has sold out for the fourth consecutive year and is only accessible via charity places and limited initiatives such as Hackney Academy.
- Hackney Academy 2026 will support up to 50 local runners, up from 30 in its debut year ahead of the 2025 Hackney Half.
- Successful applicants will receive free race entry, expert coaching, weekly group training, specialist workshops and a Hackney Academy training T-shirt.
- The programme is aimed at residents of Hackney and nearby boroughs who are new to running or returning after a break due to injury, health issues or personal barriers.
- Participants will follow a 12-week training plan running from mid-February through to race day on Sunday 17 May 2026, when the Hackney Half takes place on a flat, 13.1-mile course around East London.
- To be eligible, applicants must be 18 or over, live in Hackney or a surrounding borough, be new or returning runners and able to attend at least 10 of 12 weekly sessions.
- Applications are now open and close at midnight on Wednesday 14 January, with places limited due to high demand.
- Hackney Academy was created by Motiv Sports, organisers of the Hackney Half, as part of a broader community-focused programme to boost local participation in the event.
- In its 2025 debut, Hackney Academy saw 30 local runners train together for 12 weeks and complete the 13-mile Hackney Half, rounding off the initiative on race day.
- The wider Hackney Moves festival is billed as East London’s “unmissable weekend” of sport, entertainment and community celebration, drawing around 25,000 runners and an estimated 60,000 visitors to Hackney Marshes over the weekend in recent years.
- The 2026 Hackney Half has again been confirmed as officially sold out, with charity partners such as Hackney Playbus and national charities offering limited fundraising places.
- Prospective Hackney Academy runners are directed to review full criteria and submit applications via the Hackney Moves website.
Hackney (Hackney Moves News Desk) January 10, 2026 – Organisers of the Hackney Moves festival have opened applications for the 2026 edition of the Hackney Academy, offering up to 50 local residents free, fully supported entry into the already sold-out Hackney Half Marathon as part of a drive to widen community participation in East London’s flagship running event.
What is the Hackney Academy and how did it start?
The Hackney Academy is a structured, community-focused training initiative run under the Hackney Moves umbrella and created by Motiv Sports, the organisers of the Hackney Half Marathon, to help local people who are new to running or returning after a break to access the race. As reported by the unnamed contributor for UKRunChat, Motiv Sports launched the scheme ahead of the 2025 Hackney Half, when 30 runners from Hackney and nearby boroughs trained together for 12 weeks and went on to complete the 13-mile course as the culmination of the programme.
According to the official Hackney Academy information published on the Hackney Moves website, the initiative has now been renewed and expanded for 2026 to support up to 50 participants, reflecting the demand from residents who might otherwise be excluded from the sold-out race. The organisers describe the Academy as a way to provide coaching, structure and community support so that first-time and returning runners can progress safely towards the start line of the half marathon.
How is the 2026 programme expanding and what does it include?
The Hackney Moves website confirms that the 2026 edition of Hackney Academy will increase capacity from last year’s 30 runners to 50, nearly doubling the number of places available for local people seeking free entry. As set out in the announcement carried by UKRunChat, this expansion is framed as an extension of Hackney Moves’ ongoing commitment to providing opportunities for the local community around a landmark sporting event.
According to the Hackney Academy details published by Hackney Moves, each selected participant will receive a package that includes weekly coached training sessions, specialist workshops, a Hackney Academy training T-shirt and free entry into the 2026 Hackney Half, which has already sold out general entries. UKRunChat further reports that participants will be offered expert coaching support, access to kit and a welcoming group environment designed to build confidence, friendships and race-day readiness over the course of the 12-week programme.
Who can apply and what are the eligibility criteria?
The organisers set out clear eligibility criteria on the Hackney Moves Hackney Academy page, specifying that applicants must live in Hackney or a surrounding borough, be at least 18 years old and either be new to running or returning after time away due to injury, health challenges or personal barriers. As reported in UKRunChat’s coverage, organisers stress that the Academy is intended for beginners as well as those restarting after setbacks, rather than for experienced club runners already training consistently.
In addition, the Hackney Moves website states that successful participants must be able to attend at least 10 of the 12 weekly evening sessions, which are held across various venues in Hackney and confirmed after selection. UKRunChat reiterates that commitment to the majority of sessions is a key condition of entry, enabling coaches to guide progress effectively and helping the group to develop a sense of shared purpose in the run-up to race day.
When is the deadline and how can residents apply?
The Hackney Academy information page on the Hackney Moves site confirms that applications for the 2026 intake are now open and will close at midnight on Wednesday 14 January, warning that spaces are limited and demand is expected to be high. UKRunChat’s report echoes this deadline, noting that local residents keen to secure one of the 50 places are encouraged not to delay in submitting their forms.
Both Hackney Moves and UKRunChat direct prospective runners to the same online application route, with the Hackney Academy criteria and application link hosted at hackneymoves.com/hackney-academy. The organisers indicate that applicants will be assessed against the published criteria, and that the scheme aims to prioritise those who stand to benefit most from structured support, free entry and the confidence-building aspects of the Academy.
What does the 12-week training programme involve?
According to the Hackney Academy overview on the Hackney Moves website, the scheme runs across a 12-week training programme beginning in mid-February and continuing through to Hackney Half Marathon day on Sunday 17 May 2026. The sessions, held on weekday evenings at different locations around Hackney, are led by coaches and supported by specialist workshops intended to prepare runners physically and mentally for completing the half marathon distance.
The Hackney Moves material describes the environment as “inclusive” and “encouraging”, emphasising that the coaching is designed to support a wide range of abilities and starting points, from complete beginners to those rebuilding after injury or illness. As reported by UKRunChat, previous Academy cohorts trained together on a progressive schedule over 12 weeks, focusing on building endurance, confidence and camaraderie before tackling the 13-mile race as a group on the day.
Why is the Hackney Half 2026 already sold out and how does Hackney Academy fit in?
The main Hackney Moves website states that the 2026 Hackney Half has sold out for the fourth year in a row, highlighting strong and sustained demand for places in the East London race. Additional listings on charity and events platforms, including Hackney Playbus, confirm that general entries are no longer available, and that runners can now only gain a place through official charity partners or special allocations such as Hackney Academy.
Hackney Academy therefore functions as one of the few remaining ways for local residents to secure a free race entry, designed specifically for those who may lack the means or confidence to sign up independently. By bundling entry with coaching, social support and a clear training structure, the initiative aims to remove practical and psychological barriers to participation in one of the capital’s most popular half marathons.
What is the Hackney Moves festival and how big is it?
The Hackney Moves website describes the festival as East London’s “unmissable weekend of sport, entertainment, and community celebration”, built around the Hackney Half but also including the Hackney 5K, the Hackney Schools’ Challenge, a community 5K and a wider fitness festival. Event descriptions from partners and tour operators note that the weekend typically attracts tens of thousands of people to Hackney Marshes, with around 25,000 racing and as many as 60,000 visitors attending across the weekend in recent years.
Marathon and charity platforms highlight the event’s atmosphere of live music, street art and festival-style entertainment along the route and at the finish on Hackney Marshes, reinforcing its reputation as a vibrant and inclusive occasion rather than a purely competitive race. This broader context underpins initiatives such as Hackney Academy, which are framed as part of a community-first approach to the festival, encouraging local residents to see themselves as active participants.
What is the Hackney Half course like for Academy runners?
Event information from Marathon Tours & Travel and Hackney Moves describes the Hackney Half as a flat, fast, 13.1-mile route starting and finishing in or near Hackney Marshes, passing through areas such as Hackney Central, London Fields, Victoria Park and Hackney Wick. The course is promoted as suitable for both first-time half marathon runners and those chasing personal bests, with road closures and large crowds contributing to an energetic race-day environment.
For Hackney Academy participants, this means training is targeted at enabling them to cover the half marathon distance on a course that is technically beginner-friendly but still physically demanding, especially for those new to endurance running. Supporters and partners note that the lively atmosphere, live music and community presence along the route can help first-time runners remain motivated and feel part of a larger collective effort.
How did last year’s Hackney Academy cohort perform?
UKRunChat’s report on the initiative’s debut states that the first Hackney Academy cohort ahead of the 2025 Hackney Half comprised 30 local runners, all of whom trained together over a 12-week period and then completed the 13-mile race as the culmination of the programme. The article presents this as evidence that structured group training, coaching and peer support can enable new or returning runners to achieve a major endurance goal.
While detailed individual results are not published in the sources reviewed, both the UKRunChat article and Hackney Moves’ own description highlight the completion of the half marathon as the defining outcome of the Academy, reinforcing the decision to expand capacity for 2026. This experience appears to have shaped the programme’s focus on confidence building and social connection alongside physical preparation.
How does Motiv Sports describe its community aims?
As reported by UKRunChat, Motiv Sports, which organises the Hackney Half, created the Hackney Academy as part of a “wider community-focused programme” designed to increase local participation in the race. The article attributes this framing to Motiv Sports’ own positioning of the Academy as a vehicle to make a major sporting event more accessible and representative of its host borough.
The Hackney Moves website underscores this ethos by highlighting free and low-cost events such as the Community 5K and Schools’ Challenge alongside the headline half marathon, presenting the festival as something that “has something for everyone”. The expansion of Hackney Academy to 50 places in 2026 sits within this broader strategy of opening up pathways for residents who might otherwise be excluded due to cost, confidence or previous health-related setbacks.
What should prospective applicants do next?
Information published by Hackney Moves advises anyone interested in Hackney Academy 2026 to review the full eligibility criteria and application details at hackneymoves.com/hackney-academy, and to apply before the deadline of midnight on Wednesday 14 January due to limited availability. UKRunChat echoes this call to action, stressing that places are capped at 50 and that the scheme offers a rare chance to secure free entry to a race that has already sold out standard places.
The organisers note that applicants should be ready to commit to regular weekday evening training sessions across the 12-week block beginning in mid-February, and to participate in group coaching and workshops designed to support steady, sustainable progress. For those selected, the Academy offers a structured path from the first training session to crossing the finish line at Hackney Marshes on 17 May, as part of one of the capital’s most high-profile running weekends.
