Andy Devaney
HOKA doesn’t so much “join” Hackney Moves as put its name on the front door and offer to carry the speakers. The brand has been confirmed as the new title partner of the iconic festival, turning HOKA Hackney Moves into an official, weekend-long statement about what modern running looks like in London: part sport, part street party, and unapologetically community-led.
Centred around the centrepiece Hackney Half on Sunday 17 May 2026, the event stretches across a full weekend in East London, with live music and community activations hosted at the festival event village on Hackney Marshes. If you’ve never been, it’s where the capital’s running culture shows up in full colour—crews, clubs, charity vests, basslines, and that particular pre-race energy that makes you wonder why you ever considered “a quiet Sunday.”
A title partnership that’s been three years in the making
This isn’t a parachute-in sponsorship. HOKA and Hackney Moves have been building toward this for three years, with HOKA previously supporting as the event’s Official Footwear and Apparel Partner. Now the relationship becomes a headline commitment—one that mirrors the festival’s growth into London’s biggest half marathon and underlines the brand’s continued investment in the East London community.
The numbers tell their own story. General entry for 2026 sold out in one day when released last May, marking four consecutive years of record sell-outs. More than 27,000 runners have signed up for the 2026 event—proof, if any were needed, that this is no longer a niche borough favourite. It’s a date in the diary for the whole city.
The Hackney Marshes effect: sport with a soundtrack
For all the talk of bibs and timing chips, Hackney Moves has always understood the assignment: if you want people to move, give them a reason beyond splits. The festival village on Hackney Marshes is where the weekend becomes something bigger than a race—live music, local presence, and the kind of atmosphere that makes even the pre-run porta-loo queue feel like part of the show.
That cultural pull is also why the event keeps climbing. In 2025, more than 60,000 people visited Hackney Marshes across the two-day festival. This is sport as a public square—where spectators aren’t an afterthought and the finish line feels like a communal living room.
Removing barriers: the Hackney Academy returns
One of the more meaningful pieces of the HOKA partnership sits away from the confetti cannons. HOKA supports the Hackney Academy, a 12-week programme that debuted in 2025 and was relaunched last week ahead of the 2026 event.
The programme provides free running coaching and kit for 50 new and returning runners from Hackney and surrounding boroughs, aimed at removing barriers to participation. In a city where the cost of entry can quietly exclude people long before they reach a start line, that matters—especially for an event that prides itself on being “shaped by Hackney, for Hackney.”
A community programme built to stay authentic
If you’ve ever seen a big event lose its soul the moment it scales, you’ll understand the tightrope Hackney Moves is walking—and, so far, walking well. For 2026, HOKA Hackney Moves is expanding its established community programme, continuing to work with local running groups and over 40 Hackney organisations and leaders to keep the weekend rooted in local identity and accessible to the people who define the borough.
That’s not marketing gloss; it’s operational reality. When an event becomes this popular, authenticity doesn’t happen by accident. It has to be built, protected, and occasionally defended.
The charity impact: miles that turn into money
Beyond the spectacle, there’s a serious backbone here: fundraising. Hackney Moves continues to champion thousands of runners raising money for charities locally and nationally, with over £4 million raised last year. That’s the part that tends to land quietly—after the medals are hung and the photos are posted—but it’s a cornerstone of why the weekend carries weight.
What they’re Saying
Rebecca Shaw, Senior Partnerships Manager at Motiv Sports UK, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome HOKA as the new title partner of Hackney Moves. HOKA’s commitment and joyful approach to movement aligns perfectly with the spirit of this event. Together we will continue to elevate the experience for every participant and spectator who makes Hackney such a special place to run.”
Guido Geilenkirchen, VP and GM at HOKA EMEA, said: “We’re incredibly proud to strengthen our partnership with Hackney Moves as title sponsor. Over the past three years, we’ve seen first-hand how powerful this event is, not just as a race, but as a cultural moment that brings together runners, crews and communities from across East London and beyond.
“Hackney Moves perfectly reflects HOKA’s belief in the joy and transformative power of movement. From supporting the Hackney Academy to celebrating runners of all abilities on the start line, we’re excited to help shape the next chapter of this iconic festival and continue creating unforgettable experiences for every participant.”
What it means for 2026—and what comes next
Title sponsorships can be wallpaper. Or they can be a signal. In this case, HOKA’s move reads as the latter: a long-term alignment with an event that’s become a cultural fixture as much as a race. The trick for 2026 will be keeping the weekend big without letting it become generic—keeping the local pulse even as the national attention grows.
For runners, it’s simple: if you want a half-marathon with noise, personality, and the feeling you’ve joined something bigger than your own watch time, HOKA Hackney Moves is leaning into exactly that.
Join the HOKA Hackney Moves 2027 mailing list: https://www.hackneymoves.com/
