September 3 road race in London will give athletes the chance to qualify for the World Road Running Championships in Latvia

Championship entries for The Big Half in London on Sunday September 3 are open with the event acting as the British trial for the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, on October 1.

The first three British men and women to finish at The Big Half will guarantee their place in the GB team for the inaugural event in Riga, providing they have the qualifying time of 62:30 for men and 71:30 for women.

The qualifying times to be considered for a Championship entry for The Big Half are 70:00 or faster for men and 80:00 or quicker for women.

The times must have been in a recorded in a race since January 2022 and the maximum number of Championship places is 200 (100 men and 100 women), which will be allocated on a ‘fastest first’ basis.

The trials races for the one mile and 5km at the World Road Running Championships, meanwhile, will take place on the Great North Run weekend on Friday September 8.

A maximum of four athletes per gender can be selected for the half-marathon in Riga with two athletes per gender in the one mile and 5km.

READ MORE: Riga reverts to one-day event

Spencer Barden, head of elite athletes at London Marathon Events, said: “It’s fantastic that The Big Half will host UK Athletics’ official trial race for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Half Marathon. We’re looking forward to welcoming some of the best British distance runners to London as they battle it out to earn a British vest in Riga.”

Championship entries for The Big Half cost £56 and are now open here.

The Big Half is London’s community half marathon, starting close to the Tower of London and heading out to the financial district of Canary Wharf before returning to central London, crossing Tower Bridge and finishing in spectacular style at Cutty Sark in Greenwich.

Other ways to enter the event include:

• General entries (costing £56, with a £2 reduction for members of UKA-affiliated athletics clubs)
• Discounted resident entries (£46) for people living in the host boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich
• £10 community entries for local groups and organisations, sports clubs, schools or charities in London that benefit their local community. More details on community entries are available here.
• The Big Mile – a free one-mile event for people of all ages and abilities. Register for free online here.

The New Balance Big Relay will open shortly.

For those interested in being considered for a Platinum or Gold Elite start (subject to proof of half marathon qualifying times) contact Barden at [email protected].

 Platinum Elite qualifying times:

• Men – sub 63:00 half marathon
• Women – sub 72:00 half marathon

Gold Elite qualifying times:

• Men – sub 66:00 half marathon
• Women – sub 75:00 half marathon

The full UK Athletics selection guidelines for Riga can be found here.