Foggy start, fantastic finish - the Oxford Half 2025.

What a day! Thirteen thousand people took part in this year’s Oxford Half Marathon, running 13.1 miles through the Autumnal streets of Oxford.

We were thrilled our Oxford Hospitals Charity team included NHS staff, friends, patients and their families, all running in support of our hospitals.

Many had trained for months, and for some this was their first ever run of this distance – so there were lots of nerves and excitement before the start.

Oxford felt chilly and was particularly foggy in the early morning, but it was great to meet many of our team in the race village, where photos, a warm up and a little cuddle with our Harry bear mascot got everyone raring to go.

It was lovely to see old friends and new – all putting the miles in to make a difference.

Some ran as a personal challenge, many to say thank you for care they - or a family member – has received in our hospitals, and some in memory of a loved one.

Abbie's thank you to the Churchill Hospital

Abbie Batts, from Witney, laced up her trainers for her first ever half marathon to thank the Churchill for saving the life of her husband, Stuart.

Stuart says nurses at Churchill helped him through the darkest day: “They were brilliant  - always cheerful, supportive, and up for a laugh. I met some incredible people during my treatment.”

And Abbie told us: “Without the Churchill Hospital, Stuart wouldn’t be here today, and we would never have met. This run is my way of saying thank you.”

Pippa's support for Paediatric Critical Care

Pippa Marsden ran to thank Paediatric Critical Care for saving the life of her son Francis who had a serious breathing condition when he was 8 months old.  

Pippa said: “At every turn, the decisions made for Francis have been second to none. That absolutely meant that we still have a little boy to love and care for. And I know that without the expert team and some of the equipment made possible through funding from Oxford Hospitals Charity we know we would have lost him.

“I loved taking on this challenge and raising money to thank the NHS staff who cared so brilliantly for Francis.”

Jenny Simpson from Chipping Norton chose to run the Oxford Half to celebrate her 60^th birthday – and she did it in style, completing the 13.1 mile route and raising nearly £1,400.

The Children’s Hospital and Horton Children’s Ward were well represented with Gareth Keymer, Tara Sullivan and the Beadle family amongst many runners for these areas.

Claire Hughes, Events Officer at Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: “We are so proud of all our runners and incredibly grateful for the efforts they have put in to both their fundraising and the run.

“We had so much fun cheering them on, and it was brilliant to see such a happy Oxford Hospitals Charity team out in force. They are all winners in our eyes.

“Our thanks also to all our volunteers who helped on the day.”

Watch our on the day video below:

Want to run for Oxford Hospitals Charity in 2026?

Inspired by our Oxford Half team? The charity team is already thinking about next year’s Oxford Half. Email [email protected] to find out more.

To find out about other events you can sign up for visit our events page.