Trailfinders To Sponsor This Year’s Ealing Mini Mile
Finishers to received t-shirts with rugby club's branding
Trailfinders has had a long association with the Ealing Half Marathon
May 5, 2026
Two of West London’s best-known sporting institutions are joining forces for this year’s Ealing Half Marathon weekend, with Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club announced as the new headline sponsor of the Ealing Mini Mile.
The partnership marks a significant moment for the borough’s biggest mass-participation running event, bringing together the reigning Championship rugby champions and the popular children’s races. For 2026, the event will officially be known as The Trailfinders Ealing Mini Mile, with the club’s branding appearing on every child’s finisher T-shirt, race bib and throughout the race village in Walpole Park on Saturday 26 September.
The Mini Mile, part of the wider #EalingFeeling weekend alongside the multi-award-winning Ealing Half Marathon, attracts thousands of young runners aged 0–16 each year. Ten age-group races take place across the day, with most categories selling out within days of registration opening.
This new agreement deepens an already established relationship between the two organisations. Ealing Trailfinders have previously supported the Ealing Half Marathon, but stepping up to headline naming rights reflects both the club’s growing community role and the increasing scale of the running weekend, which now draws more than 7,000 participants across two days.
Founded in 1871, Ealing Trailfinders is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world and the largest sports club in the borough, with more than 4,000 members, 750 minis and juniors, and a professional women’s team competing in Premiership Women’s Rugby. The club has dominated English rugby’s second tier in recent seasons, winning the Championship title back-to-back.
The partnership will also support the work of the Ealing Trailfinders Foundation, which will have opportunities to raise funds and awareness across the event weekend.
Sandra Courtney, Event Director of the Ealing Half Marathon, said the partnership felt like a natural fit.
“Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is exactly the kind of partner we have always wanted for the Mini Mile — a club that is as deeply rooted in this borough as we are, and one that understands what it means to create something truly special for the West London community,” she said. “This is not a conventional sponsorship deal; this is two major West London sporting institutions coming together to celebrate what this borough does best.”
She added that seeing the club take on headline naming rights was “genuinely exciting”, saying: “Their name across the event is going to mean something to every family in that park on race day — and that is exactly what this event deserves.”
Ben Ward, Managing Director of Ealing Trailfinders, said the club was proud to support an event that brings the community together.
“Sport has a unique way of bringing people together — not just to compete, but to feel a part of something bigger than themselves,” he said. “That’s exactly why we’re so proud to support the Ealing Half Marathon, especially the Mini Mile, where the next generation will be excited to be part of that journey.”
He added: “Events like the EHM sit right at the heart of the borough’s annual calendar. They bring our community together, out onto our streets, for one big celebration, and we’re delighted to be part of it.”
Organisers are also calling for volunteers to help marshal the course, support families and cheer on hundreds of young runners at Walpole Park on Saturday 26 September. Anyone interested — whether a runner, resident, rugby supporter or simply someone who enjoys being part of a major community event — can register at ealinghalfmarathon.com/volunteer.
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