The 2026 Hackney Moves festival will be the most community-integrated yet, with an improved comprehensive community engagement initiative, spearheaded by launch of the Hackney Academy.
As the interest in the Hackney Half Marathon continues to grow, with entries selling out within a matter of hours, the event’s community engagement and outreach initiatives have expanded, deepening its connections across East London.
The Hackney Academy, which debuted in 2025, re-launched on Tuesday 24 February for its second year having been expanded to host 50 participants this year. The programme sees runners from varying backgrounds take on a 12-week training programme where they will receive expert coaching and entry to the Hackney Half Marathon. It is designed to target those who are completely new to running or returning from an extended break. The opening event was hosted at Ozone Coffee and saw the new cohort take on their first run and take part in a Q&A with some of the class of 2025.
Raivene-Sea-Jewel Walters is one of this year’s participants, she is a Youth Support & Development Worker who has lived in Hackney her whole life, signing up as someone who has never been a runner. Walters applied for the Academy seeking an inclusive, supportive group to help her take on a new experience like the Hackney Half, which she hopes to complete in memory of her Grandmother Sylvia Songhurst. She lives with chronic PCOS, and was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and hopes this initiative will help her build resilience to the feelings that often come with those conditions.
Walters said: “Before the launch event, I was so nervous. I’m a total newbie and didn’t quite know what to expect. But more than anything, I was excited. Excited to meet new people, to find support in a group of fellow beginners, and to push myself all the way to that finish line. Within minutes, I felt at ease and knew I wouldn’t be doing it alone, and that made all the difference.
“After the run, I felt amazing. Running through my local Hackney streets, chatting with new friends and even bumping into familiar faces, it was such a special feeling. I don’t usually run in London, so experiencing it like that, surrounded by a new community, was something else. What started as nerves turned into joy, connection, and a real sense of belonging.
“Now we’re planning to train together outside of the Hackney Academy sessions too. Sometimes the scariest step is just showing up, but that first step can lead you straight into a whole new community.”
The organisers of Hackey Moves, Motiv Sports UK, launched their Community Programme last year aiming to positively impact the lives of those living in Hackney by building long-term confidence and opportunities through the power of movement, and the Hackney Academy is just one pillar within that wider plan.
The Hackney Moves festival weekend welcomes around 60,000 people and showcases music, entertainment, fitness classes and talks, all from local Hackney talent and creatives.
This year, there are more ways than ever for to engage with Hackney Moves, kicking off with the free Hackney Community 5k as it grows by hosting a new family wave this year, available to children under 13 accompanied by an adult. By opening the Community 5K up to under-13s, Hackney Moves has closed the participation gap between the Schools Challenge (11 and under) and the 5K (13 and above), meaning children and young people can now take part in its running events from as young as four years old.
The annual 5k race is on Saturday 16 May and sees thousands take part, whether walking or running, for a race full of celebration and community spirit that kicks off the weekend’s festival.
Further providing opportunities to young people in the area, an additional 500 spaces have been added to the schools’ challenge which sees local pupils complete their own half marathon. On the day, participants run the final mile and get to cross the finish line, having ticked off rest of the distance in smaller segments in the weeks preceding the event, with 1,000 taking part in 2025’s edition.
Last year, Motiv Sports UK integrated Community Partners and Community Champions into the Hackney Moves Festival. These collaborative partnerships aim to make the event more accessible to locals by improving understanding of barriers to participation.
All of 2025’s Community Partners are involved again this year while the number of Community Champions has risen from just under thirty to more than sixty. Community Champions are local businesses, organisations and community leaders that are offered discounted tickets for their members and promotion on the event’s website.
Community Partners are local run clubs that receive the same benefits, as well as having a presence along the route at water and aid stations, the opportunity for direct discourse with organisers and their members are offered voluntary and paid roles during the event.
Katie Fried, Festivals and Activations Manager at Motiv Sports UK, said: “We are extremely proud to deliver this Community Programme once more and to be able to expand its offerings for 2026. The programme is all about strengthening existing relationships and building new ones, so more people can get involved in every part of Hackney Moves. By listening, and understanding, the barriers people face and working together to remove them, we can open up more opportunities for residents and local organisations.
