Hackney Half Marathon Quick Off The Mark

Organisers of the ‘Run Hackney’ Half Marathon, the new event in Hackney working as part of the Borough’s commitment to create a sustainable Olympics legacy, have announced that the inaugural race has attracted over ten thousand paid-up runners – just ten weeks after launch.

Run Hackney’s brand identity, website and outdoor advertising campaign for the February launch was part of an overall marketing strategy, coordinated by Captive Minds.

Captive Minds secured significant media partnerships with titles such as Running World and influential social platform, The Running Bug. Using the databases of numerous running clubs – particularly England Athletics members – the agency has initiated several direct marketing campaigns.

Run Hackney, taking place on 22nd June, is a closed-roads race through London’s greenest borough taking in Hackney Marshes, London Fields and Hackney Downs. Runners will also pass many of the Borough’s cultural landmarks including the Hackney Empire, Broadway Market and Hackney Town Hall, before the race enters the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Julian Staveley, client services director at Captive Minds said: ‘We look set to achieve participation levels similar to the highly regarded ‘Run to the Beat’, a race which has a six year head-start on Hackney. This success, of which we’re hugely proud, is testimony to the agency’s understanding of and experience in the sports space, our knowledge about who and how to target, the strength of our stakeholder relationships and the trust we enjoy from partners and affiliates.’

Jamie Warren, head of marketing and commercial at GO2 added: ‘We are delighted to add Run Hackney to our growing portfolio of UK half marathons. So far, the entry numbers and profile of the race have exceeded our expectations for year one, and we’re hugely grateful to Hackney Borough Council for their support and ambition in creating an event that will become a real highlight in the UK running calendar. Also, significant thanks must go to Captive Minds for helping us deliver a fantastically successful marketing campaign from scratch.’

Cancer Research UK and East End Community Foundation are the official race charities.