Helen & Douglas House has been announced as Headline Charity Partner for the 2026 Oxford Half Marathon, which takes place on Sunday 11th October 2026.
The half marathon, which sold out in record time last year as 13,000 participants registered, prides itself as providing a fundraising opportunity for charities, with 2025’s edition raising over £1.2m for the event’s charity partners.
Runners fundraising for Helen & Douglas House in 2025’s Oxford Half raised over £68,000 to help fund vital care for families who need it. This could help fund an Outreach Nurse for a whole year, visiting families in their homes and in the community in schools and hospitals.
With the charity now confirmed as Headline Charity Partner for 2026’s event, Helen & Douglas House will have the opportunity raise even more vital funds to help local terminally ill children and their families.
To kick-off this new partnership, representatives from Motiv Sports UK, organisers for the Oxford Half, visited the Helen & Douglas House children’s hospice in Oxford in November to meet the charity’s Chief Executive David Whittingham and care team staff, along with some of the children that they care for. The Oxford Half team saw first-hand the difference the money the charity raises through runners taking part in their event makes to local families.
Cara Humphreys, Charity Partnerships Manager at Motiv Sports UK, said: “Witnessing the amazing work of the Helen & Douglas House team was truly inspirational and I want to take a moment to congratulate everyone involved for the amazing work they do. We’ve had the pleasure of knowing the charity well for many years, and have always been impressed with their fundraising efforts, which is one of the many reasons why we’re so delighted to announce Helen & Douglas House as the Headline Charity Partner for the Oxford Half Marathon 2026. We look forward to working closely with them and to see their dedicated supporters and fundraisers take part in the Oxford Half Marathon next year.”
David Whittingham CEO of Helen & Douglas House said: “It was a real pleasure to meet with Oxford Half Marathon team at the hospice. We are so delighted to have been chosen as the headline charity partner for their 2026 half marathon which will help us increase awareness of Helen & Douglas House, the vital care we provide and why we need runners to take part to raise money to help local families. We are so grateful to all our 2025 runners for raising money for us and look forward to having an increased number of places for the 2026 event through this great new partnership.”
Helen & Douglas House has been part of the Oxford Half Marathon since 2011, with 171 spaces for 2025’s Oxford Half. As Headline Charity Partner for 2026, Helen & Douglas House will have more places than ever before to give more runners the chance to join the Helen & Douglas House team and raise even more money to help local families in 2026.
Gemma Cole from Bicester ran for Helen & Douglas House team in the 2025 Oxford Half. Gemma ran in memory of her son, Jago, who died in November 2024 and was supported by Helen & Douglas House along with the rest of their family.
Gemma said: “Every time I was struggling I just thought of Jago and all the children and families at Helen & Douglas House and it kept me going. The Helen & Douglas House team were incredible, it really was the boost I needed to give me that last push at the end. It was an amazing day, and I will remember it forever.”
Join the Helen & Douglas House 2026 team today with personalised support, training tips at a free track training evening and the support of their events team on the day.
Sign up for a place in the 2026 Oxford Half Marathon, through Helen & Douglas House, for £25 at: https://register.enthuse.com/ps/event/HDHOxfordHalfMarathon2026
