Everything you need to know before race day.
Please read this page carefully before travelling to the event.
With approximately 2,500–3,000 runners expected, the start area and roads around Alloa will be extremely busy on race morning. Planning your journey in advance will make your morning much easier.
The race starts and finishes at:
Lornshill Academy
Tullibody Road
Alloa
FK10 2ES
Important – there is no runner parking at Lornshill Academy.
Please do not drive directly to Lornshill Academy looking for parking. There is no public race parking at the school and temporary traffic restrictions will operate around Tullibody Road on race morning.
Instead, runners should travel to Alloa town centre, park there and either:
We strongly recommend arriving in Alloa early.
Whilst there are generally no trains that run early enough for arriving to the event, taking the train home could be a good option for some.
Alloa Railway Station
Station Square
Alloa
FK10
The station is conveniently located beside the town centre and close to the race shuttle-bus area.
Alloa Railway Station can be reached easily by:
Please allow plenty of time.
Sunday train timetables can differ from weekday services, so check your journey before race weekend and make sure your planned train is in service.
Services from Alloa generally connect through Stirling, with direct services also operating to and from Glasgow.
Depending on the timetable, runners travelling to Edinburgh may need to change at Stirling.
Please check the Sunday timetable carefully before booking your journey.
Direct services normally operate between Glasgow and Alloa.
Again, please check the race-day Sunday timetable before travelling.
If you’re driving to the race, please travel to Alloa town centre rather than Lornshill Academy.
There are more than 800 free public parking spaces across Clackmannanshire, with several public car parks in and around Alloa town centre.
Suitable town-centre locations include:
Public Council car parks in Alloa are currently free of charge.
If you’re unfamiliar with Alloa, aim for the town centre / railway station area rather than trying to get as close to the race start as possible.
From there you can follow signs and event volunteers towards the shuttle buses.
Alloa town-centre parking map – published before race dayFree shuttle buses will operate between Alloa town centre and Lornshill Academy before the race.
They will also return runners from Lornshill towards the town centre after the race.
The main race shuttle pickup point will be located in the Alloa town-centre / railway-station area.
Look out for ALLOA HALF MARATHON SHUTTLE BUS signage and event volunteers.
The pickup area will also be clearly marked on our race-day parking and transport map.
Shuttle pick-up location – confirmed before race dayDo not plan to catch the last possible bus. Thousands of runners are travelling towards the same location and buses will naturally become busier as the start approaches.
We strongly recommend being in Alloa town centre no later than approximately 7:45am. That gives you time to:
Please don’t arrive in Alloa at 8:30am expecting to park, catch a bus and make a 9:00am race start.
Lots of runners choose to walk or lightly jog from Alloa town centre to Lornshill Academy.
The distance is approximately 1.5 miles, depending on where you park. For many runners, this makes a useful gentle warm-up.
Allow around 25–35 minutes walking time, plus additional time to reach your start position once you arrive at the school.
Walking route map: Alloa town centre → Lornshill Academy – published before race dayA controlled runner drop-off arrangement is planned for race morning.
Access around B9096 Tullibody Road will become restricted as preparations for the race begin. Please follow event signage and the instructions of traffic-management personnel.
Drivers dropping runners off should:
Please do not stop on surrounding residential streets, block driveways or attempt to drive into Lornshill Academy.
Please don’t leave your journey until the last minute.
Race numbers will be posted to runners in advance. The last date for registration, in order to receive your number by post, will be the end of the first week in March. Regardless of when you register, you will receive your race number on the Monday or Tuesday of race week.
Please arrive on race morning with your race number already attached securely to the front of your running top.
Do not:
Your race number is linked to your registration and emergency information.
Go to the Race Information / Registration Desk immediately after arriving at Lornshill.
Last available time to do this will be 08:30 so please arrive early if this applies to you.
The race village is located within the Lornshill Academy event site.
On arrival, event signage and volunteers will direct you towards the main runner facilities. These will include:
Lornshill race village map – published before race dayA simple race-village map will be published before race day showing exactly where each facility is located.
Toilets will be available at Lornshill Academy.
With thousands of runners attending, they will become increasingly busy as the race start approaches. Please use them as early as possible.
Going to the toilet at 8:50am is not recommended!
Please respect Lornshill Academy and the surrounding residential area and only use the toilet facilities provided by the event.
A runner baggage facility will be available at Lornshill Academy.
Further instructions regarding baggage labels and collection will be included in the final race information.
Please bring only what you need. Do not leave:
unless absolutely necessary.
Baggage is left at the runner’s own risk.
After finishing, follow signs to baggage collection.
We recommend bringing:
March weather in Clackmannanshire can vary considerably. Check the forecast shortly before race day and dress appropriately.
The start is on the roads beside Lornshill Academy. Runners will be directed into the start area before 9:00am.
Please position yourself according to your realistic expected finishing time. Faster runners should start towards the front, with runners expecting a longer finishing time further back. This creates a smoother and safer start for everyone.
There is no advantage to standing at the front if you’re expecting to run a two-and-a-half-hour half marathon.
The race starts at 9:00am sharp.
Please listen carefully to announcements and follow instructions from event officials, traffic-management staff and marshals.
Your individual timing chip will record your race time when you cross the timing points.
The Alloa Half Marathon is 13.1 miles / 21.1 kilometres.
Starting from Lornshill Academy, the route travels through:
Alloa → Sauchie → Fishcross → Tillicoultry → Alva → Menstrie → Tullibody → Alloa
The course is known for long, relatively fast sections beneath the Ochil Hills, with a more demanding climb later in the race before runners return towards the finish.
Tap the map to open it full-screen – you can zoom in to inspect each section of the route.
A substantial traffic-management operation is required to safely deliver the race.
Temporary road closures and restrictions will operate across parts of Alloa, Sauchie, Fishcross, Tillicoultry, Alva, Menstrie and Tullibody.
The majority of the race-specific restrictions begin from around 9:00am, although restrictions around Lornshill Academy and Tullibody Road will begin earlier.
Roads reopen progressively behind the final runner when it is safe to do so.
This is another reason runners should arrive early – once closures begin, travelling across the race route becomes considerably more difficult.
Water stations will be positioned around the course. Final water-station locations will be published in the race information before the event.
Please dispose of bottles into the bins provided. Do not deliberately throw bottles into gardens, fields or roadside verges.
Professional medical cover will be available at the race and around the course.
If you feel seriously unwell:
If you see another runner who appears to be in serious difficulty, please alert the nearest marshal.
In an immediate life-threatening emergency, call 999 or 112.
For your own safety, runners need to remain aware of:
Conventional in-ear headphones are prohibited!
Friends and family are very welcome to support you. The course passes through numerous communities, including Sauchie, Tillicoultry, Alva, Menstrie and Tullibody.
Please ask spectators to consider road closures when deciding where to watch. It may be difficult or impossible to drive from one side of the course to another while the race is underway.
Spectators should never stand in the roadway or obstruct runners.
Once you cross the finish line:
Please don’t stop immediately over the finish line. There may be hundreds of runners finishing behind you.
Shuttle buses will operate from Lornshill back towards Alloa town centre after the race. The return pickup location will be clearly signposted from the finish area.
You don’t need to leave immediately. Recover, get changed, collect your baggage and then make your way towards the shuttle area.
Alternatively, you can walk back into Alloa.
If you’re travelling home by train, allow sufficient time to:
Do not book yourself onto an unrealistically tight connection. Race finishing times, shuttle queues and road restrictions can all affect how quickly you reach the station.
Accessible parking and specific access arrangements for runners who require additional assistance will be communicated separately.
If you have an accessibility requirement that could affect your arrival, participation or departure, please contact the event team in advance rather than waiting until race morning.
Alloa is approximately 8 miles from Stirling and is accessible by road and rail. Expect additional traffic around Alloa on race morning and leave extra time.
Alloa can be reached via the motorway network towards Stirling or by rail.
Drivers approaching from the east can travel via the M9/M876 and Clackmannanshire Bridge, continuing towards Alloa on the A907.
Traffic may become heavier as you approach Alloa, particularly once race closures begin.
Do not simply enter Lornshill Academy into your sat-nav and follow it all the way to the venue.
You may be directed towards closed roads or residential streets with no race parking.
Instead, runners travelling by car should navigate to Alloa town centre and use the designated race parking areas.
Temporary event signs and directions from traffic-management staff take priority over your sat-nav.
For the easiest race morning:
Arriving early is considerably less stressful than arriving 15 minutes before the start.
Shows the full 13.1-mile race route. Tap the map to open it full-screen and zoom in.
Alloa Railway Station, recommended public car parks, the shuttle-bus pickup point and the walking route towards Lornshill.
Published before race dayToilets, baggage, information, medical provision, start areas, finish area and shuttle pickup.
Published before race dayRace-day road closures and approximate reopening times.
Published before race dayBefore leaving home, check that you have:
Then all that’s left to do is run 13.1 miles.
Good luck – and enjoy the Alloa Half Marathon.
Please check our FAQs first. If your question isn’t covered there, contact admin@alloahalfmarathon.co.uk.
Race-day information and any important last-minute updates will also be published on this website and our official social-media channels.
