New Year’s Day 10K – David Dwyer

Date: 1 January 2026

Location: Hyde Park, London

Having spent 12 of the last 15 years working within a stone’s throw of Marble Arch, the race route felt very familiar. The event, organised by the Serpentine Running & Triathlon Club in partnership with Active Training World, takes place on traffic-free paths through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. I’m hugely grateful to all the volunteers who made this wonderful event possible.

I’ve long been aware of the Serpentine RTC, having occasionally run their excellent Last Friday of the Month 5K during lunch breaks over the past couple of years. These monthly races are superb - well organised, well supported, and a great way to spend time with friends or colleagues. Living and working in London feels like a privilege, especially when you can join a casual club run in a local park and stand a good chance of witnessing some truly outstanding age category performances.

In a world of digital communications, I don’t get so much post, and it was always a good feeling to get a hand addressed envelope with my race number posted to me by Malcolm French, who has been a stalwart of these events.

I’ve browsed the Serpentine’s excellent website a few times, even hovering over the apply for membership button - but never clicked. While their red-and-gold kit is undeniably regal and distinguished, I’ve always preferred the simple elegance of the red and white. Besides, having grown up across London’s NW postcodes (NW9, NW2 AND NW6)—places I hold deep affection for—it felt right to keep my running club affiliation local.

I recently joined Queen’s Park Harriers but hadn’t yet ordered my official ‘hoops’*. Keen to represent the club, I improvised with a long-sleeved red-and-white striped t-shirt—unsanctioned but very comfortable!

This was my second time running the event, and my first time on New Year’s Day. The 2025 edition was postponed due to a yellow wind warning and icy conditions, eventually taking place on January 12th. Signing up this year was easy, and the race really feels like a hidden gem. For anyone who has struggled to secure a Royal Parks Half Marathon spot, this is a fantastic alternative for a competitive run in an iconic location.

The race started shortly after 11 a.m. on a bitterly cold morning. Garmin recorded 4°C, but with a stiff breeze, it felt sub-zero. The course includes landmarks such as Kensington Palace, the Italian Gardens, Long Water, and the Peter Pan statue—though once I’m running, my peripheral vision disappears, and I’d struggle to describe the statue or even locate it!

Organisation relies heavily on Serpentine RTC volunteers, many of whom sacrifice their New Year celebrations for an early start to mark the course, marshal and set up the start and finish lines. Despite the chilly conditions, turnout was excellent, with over 500 runners. The course is flat, with only about 50 metres of elevation gain. Familiarity helped with pacing, and I managed even splits with a strong finish. Post-race goodies were a highlight—I left with a very garish pair of red-and-gold socks and the satisfaction of substantially improving my time from last year (I must thank both Father Christmas for leaving me a nice pair of end of the line turquoise FAST SHOES, picked up with the help of a sportshoes.com discount code) and the track coaches for putting me through some very intense December interval sessions. 

All in all, if you don’t get invited to wild NYE parties, (or alternatively if you feel the need to punish yourself the morning after a glass or four of champagne) I wholeheartedly recommend the event.

*A situation I’ve since rectified.