Tonbridge Half Marathon, 10k & 5K
6th October 2026
Posted on behalf of Eren Muduroglu…
Part of the Club Road Grand Prix so there was a good Harriers turn out.
9am start for the half 9.30am 10k and 9.45am 5k from outside Judd School.
I decided to drop my bag after my warm up, a mistake, with 5 mins to go the funnel (very tight) was full and I only managed to get forward to the 1.50-2hr finisher area.
No pacemakers ? which is the least you would expect for £40 entry fee . Maybe TAC are all too fast to pace 1:30:00 -2:30:00 HMs
I ran the race last year and it did not go well. In recovery mode from an ultra I soon realised I had not recovered at all and it was a torturous slog from 4km in, so an easy start was a blessing.
The course is undulating particularly for the first and last 5k between Tonbridge and Leigh. Negative split is definitely the way to approach this one.
Sunday was a beautiful morning with a low haze hovering over the fields, it was fresh and gave perfect running conditions .
Once you hit Leigh village there are some great sections for getting into your stride and upping the pace, quiet tree lined country lanes giving shade.
Starting behind meant I was overtaking rather than being overtaken and I can vouch for this as a strategy. I have also turned off my 1km watch intervals which makes for a less stressful run.
All the Harriers I spoke with had a good day some working back from injury, some training for marathons and some with exceptional performances not least Dave Weston winning his HM age category. Luca Calton and Lorna-Jane Gittings winning 10K age categories.
