UK half marathon cancelled after bomb squad called in and homes evacuated, organisers hope to reschedule

There are many reasons why a half marathon may have to be cancelled but it is not every day that a bomb squad call-out is the cause.

So the 3,000 runners scheduled to take place in the 41st edition of the annual Hastings Half Marathon in the UK on Sunday faced a dilemma when organisers Nice Work were forced to pull the plug.

Sussex Police had declared a major incident the day before the race, putting a 100m cordon around a seafront home in St Leonards so that experts could carry out a controlled burn of explosive chemicals found at the property.

“Unlawful purpose”

The action was related to the arrest of a 28-year-old man last Thursday on suspicion of producing illegal substances and making an explosive substance for an unlawful purpose. He has since been detained under the Mental Health Act while enquiries continue.

Runners, many of whom were competing to raise money for charity, then faced an anxious wait to hear if the event could still go ahead before Nice Work eventually gave them the bad news with an official post on X at 7.35pm on Saturday night, cancelling the race because of the disruption caused to the route, which would have gone along the affected road.

The post read: “With great disappointment, we must cancel the Hastings Half Marathon. This decision was not taken lightly, we explored all options, but safety must come first. We appreciate your patience & will email all concerned. Thank you for your understanding.”

A total of 73 people were evacuated from their homes and the A259 was closed as a result of the incident, but residents have since been allowed to return and the road was reopened by Sunday night.

Sussex Police, who maintained the scene under guard overnight Sunday, said in a statement: “There is nothing to suggest any sinister motivation from the individual who has been detained, nor any ongoing risk to the public.”

Faced with the cancellation, some runners chose to run the race anyway, with many making up the distance lost to the road closure by running along the seafront instead.

“Complex factors”

In a statement to RUN247 on Monday, race managers Nice Work, who assist the local charity Hastings Lions in organising the event, confirmed they are exploring the possibility of rescheduling the race for another date.

They said: “At this early stage, we are still working closely with all stakeholders to put together a plan for this year’s Hastings Half Marathon.

“As I’m sure you can appreciate, coordinating an event of this scale involves many organisations and complex factors. We will be collaborating with these partners to determine the next steps and will provide an official update very soon.

“In the meantime, we want to express our sincere gratitude to all our runners for their patience and support which has meant the world to the Hastings Lions and Nice Work teams.”