The Serpentine Handicap

The Serpentine Handicap is a race of 6,975 metres (4.334 miles) – twice round the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park and the attached Italian Fountains called the Long Water.

If you’re not up to that distance, there is an option to do one lap.

For both distances, the start and finish is just along from the old white and black boathouse on the North side of the lake in Hyde Park – as is in the background on the right of the photo below, and marked with an “S” and “F” in red circles on the map below.

Occasionally, work and events in the Royal Parks cause the route to be modified; if so this will be clearly signalled by the marshals. Sometimes we have to use an alternative route in Hyde Park, 1 or 2 loops of this route. If this is the case, there will be communications ahead of the race.

Group starts in the Handicap along the Serpentine Lake

Unlike other road races you may have taken part in, the start of the Handicap is staggered according to individuals’ past performances, so that all runners should finish the race at about the same time. This is the brilliance of the Handicap race – both fast and slow runners have a chance of winning. If all goes well, there is an exciting finish down the final straight. The race rewards not the fastest runner but the runner who performs best relative to their previous performance.

The history of the Handicap and explanation of the handicap system make interesting reading. The Tom Hogshead Trophy is awarded at the end of the year, and the Stratford Cup is presented to the handicap runner who achieves the highest average age-grading in the Handicap over six races in each calendar year, beginning in 2015. The results of the Handicap are published on the Serpentine website. You can also see the Handicap course records.

Registration and race timings

The Handicap is held on the first Saturday of each month. Registration takes place from 8:30am to 8:55am on the bench opposite the boat hire shop on the North side of the lake, marked with a green cross on the map below. It is limited to the first 100 entries.

New runners should arrive from 8:30am and get a race number from one of the volunteers, and a Scratch Runner ‘X’ which gets pinned to your back so other runners know it’s your first race and that you can’t win.

There’s nothing to do in advance (except train, if you want to!), just turn up, smile, register, try your best, smile some more, then come for coffee.

If you have run before but forget to bring your number, you keep the same number and get a replacement from a volunteer.

Please come wearing your running kit and your favorite Serpentine top so that we know you’re one of ours and running the Handicap. Bags can be left by the registration bench and a marshal will look after them during the race.

The nearest tube stations are Knightsbridge and Hyde Park Corner.

Useful Handicap Pages

Notes

The Handicap is for members of the Serpentine Running Club only. If you are not a member you can join the club online.

Race times, race points are recorded on the website in your profile.

Race starts are calculated and adjusted considering previous performances. The organisers may at their discretion change a competitor’s start time if they believe it does not accurately reflect the runner’s ability. Any runner suspected of intentionally performing below their ability in order to skew results may be disqualified from the Handicap competition.

Unless it is your first handicap race, you must wear club colours to take part (tri tops, red/gold Serpie t-shirts, and Serpie running tops are all valid). Finally, please note that runners are not allowed to wear any headphones (including bone conduction headphones) while competing, as runners need to be able to hear marshals’ instructions, other competitors and vehicles approaching from behind. Anyone who fails to comply with race rules risks being disqualified.