The beautiful grounds of the Tudor royal palace, Hampton Court, welcomed over 3000 runners to a festival event on Sunday 11th October.
Organised by RunThrough, the Voltarol Hampton Court Running Festival in support of The Felix Project takes place in the parks and public footpaths next to the historic site, with participants beginning and ending their races in the grounds of King Henry VIII’s former residence.
The event has been running since 2015, and now takes places three times a year – in March, May and October.
CEO of RunThrough, Jack Williams, said: “RunThrough was built off a real community spirit.
“We strive to be as inclusive as possible and ensure that everyone is going to have the same experience from start to finish. We pride ourselves on that fact.
“For me, the biggest thing is seeing the finish line moments of every single runner who crosses that line and realising what it means to them, and then giving them a shared space to be able to all enjoy that together.
“It starts before the race with the warm up, during the race with the camaraderie you have out on the course, and then post-race with everyone sitting out on the lawn discussing their run and sharing those stories, that’s the most special thing for us.”
He added: “It’s incredibly special to host races in such iconic locations like Hampton Court.
“We’re so thankful with the support that we can get from those venues. It creates a fantastic buzz around the event, especially at somewhere like Hampton Court Palace, with the history behind it.
“It’s incredible.”
With 3023 runners competing in either the 10K or half marathon, it was a sold out event.
One of those taking part was Richard Opperman, 57, a gardener from Basingstoke, who came 32nd out of 1106 in the 10K.
He said: “I’ve done over 100 marathons and lots of ultramarathons.
“I do the Comrades Marathon in South Africa and have also done the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town a couple of times.
“But when I run at Hampton Court, past the palace and through the lovely gardens, it never gets old. It’s beautiful. Fabulous.
“I was here last year and did the run with my niece, which was her first run. I just love it. It’s easy to get here, the parking is easy. Everyone is so nice and friendly.”
This amicable atmosphere is essential for RunThrough when organising their events, with spectators also playing a crucial role in creating a lively environment, as thousands gather along the route to cheer the runners on.
Hampton Court’s grounds are free to access on race day, with a temporary event village set up featuring food stalls and live music, allowing supporters to soak in the atmosphere as well.
Ellie Waite, 29, and Chantelle Vircavs, 30, were watching half marathon runner, Chris Pover.
Waite said: “From a spectator perspective, it’s really nice. I feel like I’m having a day out as well as just supporting.
“The location is amazing and the event village is really good.”
Vircavs added: “The spirit is really important.
“You’ve got to shout loud at half marathons and cheer people on because otherwise, what’s the point?”
Many of the runners were raising money for charity, in particular for race partner, The Felix Project.
Felix is London’s largest food redistribution charity, whose 18,000 volunteers help 1.5 million people a year in the UK to eat, connect and access vital support.
Williams estimated that tens of thousands of pounds was raised for Felix from this race alone.
He added: “Charity fundraising is a massive part of what we do at RunThrough.
“We work with charities at different events over the course of the year and raise millions, which is something that we’re super proud of.”
RunThrough’s first ever event took place in 2013 in Bushy Park – coincidentally right next to Hampton Court – a place Williams described as a “Mecca for local distance running”.
Just over a decade later, they now organise more than 400 events annually, and welcome around 500,000 participants.
They are looking to introduce junior races to all their events, hoping to inspire the next generation of runners.
RunThrough also host events at Alton Towers, Colchester Zoo, Thorpe Park, and various football and sports stadiums around the UK.
Their next event at Hampton Court is 13-14 March 2027, with Williams hoping for record numbers.
He concluded: “The reason to do this event in particular is because it gives such a unique opportunity to run in the footsteps of the infamous Tudor dynasty and those people that have lived and breathed in this venue in different guises over hundreds and hundreds of years.
“You have the opportunity to be able to meet new people, spend time with like-minded individuals, have a great race, hopefully get a PB and then get some great goodies afterwards.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you to be able to come and do such an event at the iconic Hampton Court Palace.”
Featured image credit: Zandie Howells
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