Conwy Half Marathon 2026: Where to Stay in Llandudno
Five days. That's all that stands between you and the start line on Conwy Quay, where up to 4,000 runners will gather at 9:30 am on Sunday 15 November. The entry list sold out, so if you have a place, you've already done the hard bit.
Now comes the part that quietly decides how the morning goes: where you sleep the night before.
Llandudno sits a few miles along the coast, with a flat promenade for your shake-out jog, a station for easy arrivals and a Victorian seafront that feels made for a post-race wander. At James Court, guests get an allocated parking space, indoor bike racks and a sauna for tired legs. Curzon Villa, a ten-bedroom house with its own hot tub, suits whole running clubs and supporter crews.
Table of Contents
This guide to Conwy Half Marathon accommodation is a race-weekend plan rather than a hotel list. It covers who should stay where, how to plan race morning, and how to recover properly, so the only thing you're fretting about is pacing.
Quick Facts
Race date | Sunday 15 November 2026 |
Half marathon start | 9:30 am, Conwy Quay (the organiser says it won't delay the start) |
Fun run | 8:45 am, about 1 mile, all ages, listed at £5 |
Entries | Capped at 4,000; Run Wales lists the race as sold out |
Entry fee | £42–£44 (organiser listings) |
Organiser | Run Wales |
Where to stay (this guide) | James Court (7 apartments) and Curzon Villa (10 bedrooms), Llandudno |
James Court extras | Free allocated parking space per apartment, indoor bike racks, 2 EV charging points, sauna, gym, games room |
Curzon Villa extras | Outdoor hot tub, games room, 8 en-suite bedrooms plus 2 sharing a Jack and Jill bathroom |
Beach from James Court | 0.3 miles |
Minimum stay | Usually 2 nights, can vary by season and availability |
Typical November weather | Cool and often wet; highs around 7°C, lows around 2°C (TrainerDay) |
Book direct | llandudnogreatescapes.co.uk/book-now or Property Manager on +44 7867 672173 |
Why Llandudno Works for Race Weekend
The honest bit about distance
Let's start with the truth. Llandudno isn't Conwy. Between your bed and the quayside start, there's roughly four to five miles of road, which means a train, taxi, bus, bike, or drive on Sunday morning. You need a plan, and we'll build one in a moment. Anyone who tells you it's a two-minute stroll is having you on.
So why not just stay in Conwy itself? Fair question. Conwy's walled centre is small, which limits how many beds it can offer, and a race with up to 4,000 entries leans on every one of them. Llandudno, a short hop along the coast, has far more room to breathe, plus a few things that genuinely help a runner.
A flat promenade for the shake-out
Most coaches suggest an easy 15 to 20 minute jog the day before, mainly to remind your legs what's coming. Llandudno's seafront is about as flat and forgiving as a shake-out route gets, and from James Court the beach is only 0.3 miles away. Out you go, back you come, job done. No hills, no traffic dodging, no overthinking.
A course you'll recognise
Race listings describe a course that heads out towards Llandudno and loops the Great Orme before returning to Conwy for the finish by the castle. Check the official route map on the Run Wales page for exact details, because it's the only version that counts. The upshot, though, is that staying here means you may have seen some of the scenery before race day. Reviewers on Eventrac talk about a testing climb followed by a long descent, which is worth knowing before you decide how brave to be in the first half.
Somewhere for supporters to be
Your cheering squad doesn't want to stand around Conwy for six hours. Llandudno gives them a Victorian seafront, plenty of cafés and a proper town to explore while you're out there suffering. And if they'd like a Saturday night treat, SIX the Musical is on at Venue Cymru until Saturday 14 November; our Venue Cymru guide has the details.
Who this suits
Entered runners who want a calm, self-catering base with parking sorted
Supporters and families who'd like a weekend away with a race as the backdrop
Running clubs and charity teams who want everyone under one roof
Fun-run families (8:45 am start, all ages, about a mile)
Rail travellers and cyclists who'd rather not rely on a car
Which Llandudno Stay Suits Which Runner
Choosing where to stay isn't about the poshest option. It's about who's coming, how they're travelling and how many people want a shower at 6:30 am. Here's a quick match-up.
Match-up table
Who you are | What you need | Best fit |
Solo runner or pair | Quiet night, kitchen, easy parking | A one-bedroom apartment at James Court (there are six) |
Small group or family | A bit more space | The two-bedroom apartment at James Court (only one, so ask early) |
Running club, charity team or big supporter crew | Everyone under one roof, space to gather | Curzon Villa: ten bedrooms, outdoor hot tub, games room |
Cyclist or rail traveller | Secure bike storage, near public transport | James Court: indoor bike racks, close to public transport |
Fun-run family | Games room, beach nearby, no early-morning stress | Either property |
Check bed configurations with the property manager when booking; the website doesn't spell out who sleeps where.
The shower-queue test
Here's a planning trick that costs nothing. Count the bathrooms, count the people, and divide. If more than three or four runners are sharing one bathroom on race morning, somebody's warming up cold. Curzon Villa has eight en-suite bedrooms and two that share a Jack and Jill bathroom, which for a club of ten or twelve is a very different morning from squeezing everyone through one shower. James Court apartments each have their own bathroom, so a group booking several apartments avoids the queue altogether.
Three illustrative scenarios
These are examples to help you plan, not real guest stories.
The solo PB-chaser. She's arriving by train on Saturday afternoon, wants porridge made her own way at 6:45 am and nobody else's alarm clock in her ear. A one-bedroom apartment with an open-plan kitchen is the whole brief. She'll cook, sleep, and go.
The club of twelve. Half of them are running, half are supporting, and three have never met in person (the club's Facebook group is large). Curzon Villa gives them a living and dining area to gather in on Saturday evening and a games room for the nervous energy. One practical point: the website confirms allocated parking at James Court but not at Curzon Villa, so a club planning to bring several cars should ask about parking when they book.
The fun-run family. Mum is running the half, Dad has the 8:45 am mile with the kids. Everybody is up early, so being close to the beach and having a games room for a wet November afternoon matters more than a grand dining room.
James Court: Parking, Bike Racks and Sauna
James Court is a set of seven self-contained apartments: six one-bedroom and one two-bedroom, each with an open-plan kitchen and living space. It's where the practical stuff lives, so here's what it means for race weekend.
Parking maths
Each apartment comes with one allocated parking space, free of charge. That's brilliant for a pair sharing a car and slightly less brilliant for a group of friends who've each driven separately. If that's you, car-share to the start (or use a taxi, which we'll get to) and keep the second car off the road. It also means you're not circling Llandudno on Saturday evening looking for a spot, and on Sunday morning you can leave when you're ready, not when you've found where you left the car.
There are also two EV charging points on site, which helps if you're driving an electric car down from the north-west or the Midlands. Ask when booking how charging is allocated, as it's shared between the apartments.
Bikes and kit
Indoor bike racks mean your bike isn't chained to a lamp-post in a November drizzle. If you're cycling as a supporter (plenty of people follow races by bike) or using a bike to get to the start, secure indoor storage is a genuine bonus rather than a brochure line. Wet kit is the other race-weekend headache: an apartment with its own kitchen and living area gives you somewhere to dry trainers and gear far better than a single hotel room would.
Sauna and gym
On-site facilities include a shared sauna, a gym and a games room. The sauna is the headline for runners, and the recovery section below has more on using it sensibly. The gym is handy for a light mobility session on Saturday if you can't sit still, though honestly, resist the urge to do anything heroic the day before the race. Because these are shared facilities, check access arrangements and any quiet hours with the property manager on arrival.
Where's the hot tub?
At Curzon Villa, not at James Court. If a hot tub is on your wish list, Curzon Villa's outdoor tub is the one. Many guests combine the two: a group splitting across both properties and meeting for a post-race soak is a perfectly reasonable plan.
Getting From Llandudno to the Conwy Start Line
The start is on Conwy Quay, and the organiser is blunt: it won't delay the start under any circumstances. The later you arrive, the longer you'll spend walking to it, and the organiser says the furthest parking area is around a 10- to 15-minute jog (or 20- to 25-minute walk) away. The lesson? Build in more time than you think you need.
Plan A, Plan B, Plan C
Think of this as a three-layer safety net.
Plan A: train. Llandudno Junction is the main-line station nearest to Conwy, and it connects to Llandudno itself. Check the Transport for Wales journey planner for Sunday 15 November specifically. Sunday timetables are often lighter than weekdays, so don't assume the early train you want exists.
Plan B: pre-booked taxi. Book it now, not on Saturday night. Race morning is the worst time to discover every cab in the area is spoken for. Agree a pick-up time and a drop-off point with the firm in advance.
Plan C: drive and use the park and ride. Run Wales has announced a new park and ride service for 2026, around a mile from the start. Check its race-day information page for locations and operating times, as I couldn't confirm the full details at the time of writing.
The golden rule: if Plan A fails, you should be able to switch to Plan B within five minutes without panic. That's the point of having a Plan B.
Rail and the "last mile"
Rail links into Llandudno and Llandudno Junction make this a very workable race for people who don't want to drive. The "last mile" is where it gets interesting. From Llandudno Junction to the quayside start, it's a walk or short taxi ride, so allow time for it. If you're staying at James Court, it's worth asking the property manager what they'd suggest for local taxis and Sunday buses; local knowledge
beats a timetable.
If you're driving
Your free allocated space at James Court means you don't have to worry about parking where you sleep. At the race end, plan your car park choice using Run Wales's guidance. Aim to be settled at the start area comfortably before the gun, with a buffer for the walk, toilets and a final faff with your laces.
Your Race Weekend Timeline
Most race-weekend advice is a vague checklist. Here's a better trick: work backwards from the gun.
Working backwards from 9:30 am
Times below are suggestions to adapt. They're not official race instructions.
9:30 am: Half marathon starts. You want to be at the start area well before this, not arriving at it.
8:30 am (roughly): Target arrival at the quayside. This gives you time for toilets, a last warm-up, and to find your spot in the field.
7:45 am: Leave Llandudno for the start (adjust for your transport plan and for any park and ride timings).
6:45 am: Breakfast. Many runners eat two to three hours before the start, but stick with whatever you've practised in training.
6:30 am: Wake up. Yes, really.
If you or your family are doing the 8:45 am fun run, bring everything forward by about 45 minutes.
Saturday, Sunday and Monday at a glance
Day | Plan |
Saturday 14 Nov | Arrive, check in (confirm check-in time with the property manager), 15–20 minute shake-out jog, early dinner you've eaten before, lay out kit, early night. Supporters: seafront stroll or Venue Cymru's evening show. |
Sunday 15 Nov | Run day. Follow the backwards plan above. Afterwards: food, warm layers, sauna or hot tub once your body has calmed down (see below). |
Monday 16 Nov | Slow breakfast, gentle walk. Check-out time to be confirmed with the property manager. If you've time, browse our nearby attractions guide before you set off home. |
Most stays have a two-night minimum, so Saturday and Sunday nights are the natural fit, with a Monday check-out. If you'd like a longer break, ask about discounts for extended stays.
Recovering Properly After 13.1 Miles
This is general wellbeing guidance, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, or you feel unwell during or after the race, speak to a medical professional.
The first hour
The first hour after the finish matters more than people think. Walk for a few minutes rather than stopping dead. Get warm and dry, because a November morning in North Wales cools you down quickly once you stop running. Drink something, and eat something with carbohydrates and a bit of protein as soon as your stomach agrees. Having your own kitchen back at the apartment makes this much easier than hunting for a café with a queue of 4,000 other runners.
Sauna or hot tub: sensible rules
Heat feels wonderful on tired legs, but your body has just done hard work, so be sensible.
Wait. Give your heart rate time to settle and have a proper drink and some food first.
Keep it short. A shorter session is better than a long one when you're depleted.
Rehydrate before and after. Heat adds to fluid loss.
Stop if you feel dizzy, faint, or unwell. Get out, cool down gradually, and sit down.
Avoid alcohol beforehand. Celebrate afterwards.
The sauna is at James Court (shared, so check access and any quiet hours); the outdoor hot tub is at Curzon Villa. If your group is split between properties, arrange to meet up for a soak and compare splits.
Day-after legs
Expect stiff quads and possibly a funny gait on the stairs. A gentle walk on Monday does more for your legs than sitting still. Llandudno's flat promenade is perfect for it. Keep it easy, keep it short, and treat the whole weekend as a reward rather than a recovery chore.
Booking With Confidence
For travellers, "security" isn't a vague word. It means knowing what you're paying for, who to call, and what happens if plans change. A good booking process should make all three clear.
Five questions to ask before you pay anyone
Whoever you book with, ask these. They'll take two minutes and save you a headache.
What's the minimum stay?
Llandudno Great Escapes usually asks for two nights, though it varies by season and availability.
What's the cancellation and refund policy?
The website has a Cancellation and Refund Policy section in its FAQs. Read it before paying, and get anything unusual in writing.
What exactly is included?
Parking, bike storage, sauna, gym, games room, EV charging: these are listed for James Court, and the hot tub at Curzon Villa. Confirm anything you're counting on.
Who do I call if something goes wrong?
Llandudno Great Escapes lists a Property Manager phone number (+44 7867 672173) and an email (holidaylet@mydbr.co.uk) on its site.
How is payment taken?
Major credit and debit cards and secure online payments are accepted via the website booking page; bookings made via the contact page are processed by the team.
You can book direct here. Ask about current race-weekend availability and any longer-stay discounts when you do.
For property owners and investors: what a race weekend tells you
If you own a property in North Wales, or you're weighing up short-term let as an investment, an event like the Conwy Half Marathon is a useful case study. Capped at 4,000 entries and sold out, it shows how a single event can concentrate demand into one weekend, and how travellers will plan around it: arriving the day before, wanting parking, secure bike storage and recovery facilities. That's real-world insight into what guests value.
But one sold-out weekend isn't a business plan. Short-let income varies by season, location, property standard, and how well it's managed, and returns are never guaranteed. Event weekends are one input among many. That's why working with an experienced operator matters. DBR Investment Group develops and manages residential and short-term-let properties across the UK, including James Court and Curzon Villa here in Llandudno. If you'd like to understand how event-led demand fits into a wider letting strategy, get in touch and ask for an honest conversation rather than a sales pitch.
Property investment carries risk. Capital is at risk and returns are not guaranteed. This is general information, not financial advice; speak to a qualified adviser before making investment decisions.
Quick Takeaways
The Conwy Half Marathon starts at 9:30 am on Sunday 15 November on Conwy Quay; the fun run starts at 8:45 am.
Llandudno is roughly four to five miles from the start, so you need a transport plan, not a hope.
James Court offers one free allocated parking space per apartment, indoor bike racks, two EV charging points and a shared sauna.
The hot tub is at Curzon Villa, a ten-bedroom house that suits clubs and big supporter groups.
Use the shower-queue test: count bathrooms against people before choosing where to stay.
Plan backwards from the gun: leave Llandudno around 7:45 am, aim to be at the quayside by 8:30 am (adapt to your transport).
Book direct, check the cancellation policy, and remember the usual two-night minimum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where's the best place to stay for the Conwy Half Marathon?
Llandudno, a few miles along the coast, is a strong choice for space, parking and recovery facilities. James Court offers apartments with free allocated parking, indoor bike racks and a sauna; Curzon Villa suits groups with ten bedrooms and a hot tub.
How far is Llandudno from the Conwy Half Marathon start?
Roughly four to five miles by road to Conwy Quay. Most people travel by train (via Llandudno Junction), pre-booked taxi, or car with park and ride. Check Run Wales and Transport for Wales for race-day details.
Is there free parking at James Court?
Yes. Each apartment comes with one free allocated parking space, and there are two EV charging points on site. Cyclists can use the indoor bike racks. Ask the property manager about parking at Curzon Villa when booking.
What time does the Conwy Half Marathon start?
The half marathon starts at 9:30 am on Sunday 15 November 2026 on Conwy Quay. The fun run (about one mile) starts at 8:45 am. The organiser says it will not delay the start, so aim to arrive early.
Is there a sauna or hot tub for recovery?
Yes. James Court has a shared sauna and a gym; Curzon Villa has an outdoor hot tub. Wait until your heart rate settles, rehydrate first, keep sessions short, and stop if you feel unwell.
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