Nearly two dozen businesses on Broadway Market have urged Hackney Council to let runners pass through their street in future years, warning that changes to the Hackney Half Marathon route are costing them thousands of pounds in lost revenue.
The popular half marathon, which has taken place in the borough since 2014, will see over 25,000 participants dash through Dalston, Homerton, and London Fields on Sunday, May 17. Until 2025, the route crossed over the Regent's Canal and up through Broadway Market, a Victorian street bazaar home to scores of independent shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars.
However, Hackney Council's decision to move the route away from Broadway Market to facilitate the Sunday street market has frustrated permanent business owners. They say they will lose out on one of their busiest trading days for the second year in a row.
Business Owners Speak Out
Alex Bloom, who has run her vegetarian restaurant Aya & Suki on Broadway Market for eight years, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the annual half marathon used to provide a vital reprieve. The race cleared the street for one Sunday a year, drawing in more customers as spectators flocked to what she called "the amazingly vibrant and well-attended focal point of the race."
"On a Hackney Half day, we'd take about £3,000, but with the food market running last year it was more like £500," Ms Bloom said. "This is the one day we make money. It's really hard as a hospitality business with only one premises. You're constantly on the edge."
Ms Bloom and other owners acknowledged that it was too late to change the route this year and recognized the council's need to "balance competing demands." However, 23 businesses from the street have written to the local authority asking it to review how the event is managed in the future to ensure the "widest possible benefit to the local economy" and to "seriously consider" returning to the original route.
Community Impact
One of the signatories is William Cheshire, who runs a bespoke jewellery business and on-site workshop on Broadway Market. Though many of his customers come by appointment, he said he would miss the impact of runners passing through "this real vein of London."
"This is a real crunch point. The atmosphere is fantastic because you get supporters cheering and echoing around the buildings. It's a big part of the community," he said.
Other signatories to the letter include The Dove pub, tapas restaurant El Ganso, fishmonger Fin & Flounder, and wine sellers Shrine to the Vine.
Stephane Cusset, who has traded on Broadway Market for over two decades, runs a delicatessen and café L’eau à La Bouche at the market's mid-point. He told the LDRS: "We just made so much more on the Hackney Half when there was no Sunday market. It was a really good day for businesses because it was so busy on the street."
His daughter Olive Cusset, head chef at La Bouche, added that the original route down the market street was "really nice for the community."
Council Response
Ms Bloom said that so far their letter has been met with silence. Responding to the LDRS, a Hackney Council spokesperson said: "Hackney Moves and the Hackney Half attract tens of thousands of participants and spectators to the borough, generating significant economic benefits, with many local businesses, charities and community organisations directly involved in the events."
"We acknowledge that the change of route that was made in 2025 may be disappointing for some businesses on Broadway Market, but the slightly amended route for the half marathon aims to strike a balance that also enables the Sunday market to continue trading."
The spokesperson added: "We encourage racegoers and supporters to explore and support Hackney's independent shops, markets, cafés and creative spaces as these places reflect the culture and diversity of the borough."
The Hackney Half is scheduled for Sunday, May 17 as part of the Hackney Moves festival. The route travels through sections of Homerton, Dalston, and London Fields, before heading towards Victoria Park and Hackney Wick. The finish line is in Hackney Marshes.
The race will lead to closures or partial closures of several roads across Hackney in the morning. These will shut at 6:30am and begin to reopen in stages from 12:45pm to 4pm. Hackney Council will be suspending the enforcement of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) for 24 hours on Sunday to help minimise disruption.
