The Oxford Half 2022 returned today with thousands of runners winding through Central Oxford, past the ivory towers and magnificent spires, across the River Cherwell and through the pristine parks and countryside before looping around Old Marston Village.
Runners, each with their own inspirational story and reason for running, raised funds for our 12 charity partners: Cancer Research UK, Macmillan, GOSH, Alzheimers UK, Headway Oxfordshire, Helen & Douglas House, Oxfordshire Mind, Sobell House, Restore, Special Effect, Oxford Food Hub and SSNAP. On top of this we had a further 50 charities enter teams and over £300,000 has been raised so far for so many worthwhile causes.
Hamzah, Bashar and Fthawi, three young refugees from war-torn Yemen and Eritrea completed their first-ever half marathon as part of a new programme The Refugee Run Club launched by Coopah, the digital running coach and training app.
Hamzah (22) and his brother Bashar (19) were forced to leave Yemen and ended up in nearby Sudan where it became so unsafe they couldn’t leave the house. Since arriving in the UK 14 months ago, they’ve followed their passion for sport and are using running to overcome trauma and integrate into society.
“This is my first half marathon – and the whole experience was amazing, especially the entertainment enroute! I beat my time by 6 minutes and want to thank the crowds of people cheering me on, they are the reason for my PB! I would love to do the Oxford Half Marathon every year!” - Hamzah
The Oxford Half 2022 male winner Andrew Heyes, who also won the ASICS London 10K in July, finished in just 01:05:30. “The day ways great! The course is fantastic, the Oxford Half is absolutely stunning, and the weather has massively helped. This is my first time running the Oxford Half, I’ve wanted to do it for a few years, and I was desperate to do it, so when this opportunity came along, I grabbed it!”.
This year’s female winner Harriet Freeman completed the course with an impressive time of 01:18:01. “The day has been absolutely stupendous! From waking up at dawn, gorgeous sunrise, listening to the birds, then the cool music and warmup and the atmosphere is buzzing. it’s my first event in a year as I was on crutches for three months, and to have won Oxford Half is an amazing comeback! I feel honoured to be here!”
Whilst the first wheelchair finisher Gary Cooper, who finished in 01:00:53, commented, “Race conditions were perfect and the atmosphere was encouraging, even from the other runners. This is my fourth time doing the Oxford Half Marathon and I got a PB by 3 minutes! It’s also off the back of doing the London Marathon and Chicago marathon, my 3rd marathon in 3 weeks and it’s my fastest time!”
Post-race, the Race Village at Oxford University Park played host to live music, stretch sessions and local market traders, allowing for celebrations to continue well into the afternoon!
Youth running initiative the OXFORD SCHOOLS’ CHALLENGE returned for another year. Hundreds of children (5-11 years) from 14 Oxford schools took on the 1.1 mile race to complete their own 13.1 mile challenge.
ENTER OXFORD HALF 2023 TODAY
For a limited 3 week period only, runners can bypass the Oxford Half 2023 ballot by securing an Early Bird ticket at the reduced price of just £45. If you loved the 2022 edition, make sure you make the most of this guaranteed entry offer before it’s too late.
