Time is running out for people to sign up for this year’s Wizz Air Hackney Half Marathon after general entries sold out in record time.

Some 24,000 runners have signed up for the hugely popular half marathon, which is part of the annual two-day Hackney Moves festival, and the only way to secure a place now is by running in support of one of the event’s charity partners.

A limited number of places are still available via Alzheimer’s Society, Cancer Research UK, Shelter, Macmillan Cancer Support, St Mungo’s, and Single Homeless Project.

Runners can also raise money for a string of local charities, with The Felix Project, Barts Charity, Hackney Night Shelter, St Joseph’s Hospice Hackney, ReachOut UK, and Mind in the City Hackney and Waltham Forest, all benefiting from their final few charity places.

The Wizz Air Hackney Half Marathon is London’s largest and most popular half marathon and a growing number of the overall participants come from East London, with around one in five runners last year living in Hackney itself.

Organisers LimeLight Sports are confident that figure will increase again this year as Hackney Moves further cements itself as East London’s leading sporting festival; as well as the half marathon the weekend also includes a free 5k event, live music and entertainment, and the climax of its Hackney Schools Challenge.

The schools challenge encourages local primary school pupils to run 12 miles in the build-up to the half marathon, before joining together for a final celebratory mile, crossing the official finish line to achieve their own half marathon.

The Wizz Air Hackney Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, May 21, and will take in all the sights and sounds of Hackney. Starting and ending on Hackney Marshes, the run includes Broadway Market, the famous town hall, Hackney Wick, Hackney Picturehouse, Victoria Park, and the Hackney Empire.

The race takes place on the final day of Mental Health Awareness Week and organisers are hopeful as many East Londoners as possible will take the chance to sign up, enjoy all the physical and mental health benefits which being active brings, and do their bit to support a charity.

Craig Dews, CEO of LimeLight Sports Club, said: “The Wizz Air Hackney Half Marathon is one of the best half marathons in Europe – and it is extremely positive news for the entire industry that such a significant mass participation event has sold out in record time, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels.

“It isn’t just a race, but a real celebration of Hackney as a place and as a community, and it is brilliant to see more and more local people taking part in not only the half marathon, but the wider Hackney Moves festival.

“The fact so many of our runners also chose to support charities doing such great work in Hackney and across London is the icing on the cake.”

For information on how to secure a charity place visit hackneymoves.com and select ‘Charities’,