The Big Half
Please note, Rising Sun charity places are now filled, but we are accepting applications for a waiting list.
The Big Half is a community event for everyone, regardless of age, background or ability – which is why this is the perfect half marathon for first-time runners! This inclusive half marathon has a fun, festival atmosphere, so you’re bound to have fun as you challenge yourself to complete the 13.1 mile closed road course weaving through London from Tower Bridge to the iconic Cutty Sark in Greenwich, following much of the famous London Marathon route.
Date: Sunday 7th September 2025
Location: London
Fundraising: Free entry with a pledge to raise £350
The Big Half Route
Starting by London’s famous Tower Bridge, the 13.1 mile closed road course follows much of London Marathon’s iconic route through the city. You’ll run through Limehouse before looping around Canary Wharf to run alongside the River Thames. As you cross the infamous Tower Bridge you’ll be celebrated by hundreds of supporters cheering you on as you make your way to the finish line at the historic Cutty Sark.
Apply for a Rising Sun place
Rising Sun have a limited number of charity place in The Big Half and you can secure your place today! You can register for a Rising Sun place for free with a pledge to raise £350 (before Gift Aid) which could pay for a woman to access a programme of specialist 1:1 counselling.
Run with your own place
If you’ve already secured, or are planning to secure your place in The Big Half, you can still choose to raise much-needed funds for Rising Sun by setting up a JustGiving page today! Every £10 you raise could stock a bag of necessities for a woman fleeing domestic abuse.
Run for survivors of domestic abuse
Each year we must raise £1.7m to provide all of our services free of charge to those who need us most across Canterbury, Ashford and Folkestone & Hythe. By raising sponsorship for your Big Half you can ensure victim-survivors are listened to, believed and can access the specialist services they need to live safely and rebuild their lives.
Your fundraising could help us:
- £10 could stock a bag of necessities for a woman fleeing domestic abuse
- £25 could pay for a woman to attend a specialist 1:1 counselling session
- £30 could pay for a child to attend a supported activity day during the school holidays
- £50 could pay for a young people to receive a specialist 1:1 counselling session
- £60 could pay for a woman to attend our supportive weekly drop-in café for ten weeks
- £200 could pay for a woman to attend a 10-week support group to rebuild their life
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s great to hear that you’d like to run The Big Half for Rising Sun, thank you so much.
We have a limited number of free places available in the event, and you can register for one of our free places using the link below.
When you register for a free Rising Sun place, you are pledging to raise a minimum of £350 (before Gift Aid) for Rising Sun. We kindly ask that you raise £350 for your space as this will enable us to cover the cost of your place, plus a donation to support survivors of domestic abuse.
Absolutely! If you’ve already secured your place in The Big Half, you can start fundraising for Rising Sun with your place by opening a JustGiving page and sharing it with friends, family and your community.
Every £10 you raise could help us to provide a bag of essentials to a woman fleeing domestic abuse.
When fundraising for Rising Sun, please follow our Fundraising Terms and Conditions.
If you’d like to purchase your own place in The Big Half and then simply raise as much as you can for Rising Sun, you can do this directly through The Big Half website.
General entry to The Big Half is £56.50
Once you’ve secured your place in The Big Half you will receive a series of emails with all of the information you need, including your race day information.
Thank you so much for fundraising for Rising Sun through The Big Half, we’re so grateful for your support!
JustGiving: If you’ve opened a JustGiving page, this money will be sent directly to Rising Sun on a regular basis. There’s nothing more you need to do!
Cheque/Cash: If you’ve fundraised by collecting cash or using a sponsorship form, you can either transfer the funds via bank transfer or by posting us a cheque for your totalled amount. You can make a cheque payable to Rising Sun Domestic Violence and Abuse Service and post it to: PO Box 1229, Canterbury, CT1 9TZ.
If you’d like to transfer funds by bank transfer, please call the fundraising team on 01227 452852 or email us on fundraising@risingsunkent.com and we’ll let you know the necessary details.
When fundraising, don’t forget to ask your generous friends & family to Gift Aid their donation to help us raise an additional 25% from their donation, at no cost to themselves!
Through registering for a free Rising Sun place in The Big Half you are pledging to raise a minimum of £350, this enables Rising Sun to cover the cost for your place as well as a significant donation to support survivors of domestic abuse.
Did you know that 25% of fundraising is donated once you’ve completed the event! This is why we give all of our fundraisers a month post-event to continue fundraising.
In the run up to your event, our community fundraiser will be on hand to support you in reaching your fundraising goal and will be there to support you with any questions.
When registering for a Rising Sun place in the event, you agreed to Rising Sun’s fundraising terms and conditions, which allows Rising Sun to withdraw your place in the event if you fail to meet your fundraising obligations.
Many employers offer a match funding scheme, this means that they will match your fundraising efforts. Therefore, if you raise £100 for Rising Sun, they’ll also donate £100 to Rising Sun – equalling £200!!
When taking part in a fundraising event, it’s always worth asking your employer if they offer a match funding scheme to help you increase your fundraising.
Absolutely!
To help you spread the word about your incredible fundraising efforts for Rising Sun, you can download one of our branded sponsorship forms to share with your friends, family and colleagues.
Please be sure to ask your kind supporters to tick Gift Aid to raise an additional 25%!