The first Plymouth Marathon was held in the early 1980’s to coincide with the “Running Boom” at that time and was organised for many years by the Plymouth  Junior Chamber of Commerce. As entry numbers dwindled an alternative Half Marathon was introduced to supplement the Marathon event. With dwindling numbers taking part in the Marathon it was eventually dropped and just the Half Marathon held. The organisation of the Half Marathon passed between numerous groups until eventually it was not held at all in 1993. At that time a couple of enthusiastic Club Runners and employees of DML approached the Company Sports and Social Club Manager to try and get support to organise a Half Marathon in1994. With the support of DML Sports and Social Club (now Babcock Marine Sports and Social Club) and other local Athletic Club members came the rebirth of the Plymouth Half Marathon. The event is now owned by 'Plymouth Half Marathon Company Limited'.

From the first organising meeting the aim of the event management team was to bring to Plymouth an event for the community that the City could be proud of and raising monies for local charities.

The first event in 1994 attracted some 800 entries and numerous headaches and anxious moments for the organisers. For the first two years it was held in conjunction with a Vintage Bus Rally from Plymouth Hoe Promenade with athletes starting and finishing through a corridor of buses. In conjunction with Plymouth City Council the first “Festival of Running” was held in 1996 and a family “Fun Run” introduced. The event was beginning to grow in stature and size. With the turn of the Millennium the event targeted “2000 runners for 2000”. This figure was surpassed and the Plymouth Half Marathon was now recognised locally as one of the cities major sporting events and was acclaimed in the Top 10 Half Marathons in the UK, a ranking that has been maintained annually since.

An enforced change to the route in 2001 due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak affecting access to Saltram Park produced the most exciting finish in the men’s race ever seen at the event. The event attracts entrants from across the UK and across the World and since 2000 has hosted the “Warriors across the Sea” challenge between the Royal Navy/Royal Marine team and the United States Marine Corp.