Derry Waterside Half Marathon: three-bridge test on 6 September
The sold-out Waterside Half Marathon will start and finish at Ebrington Square in Derry on Sunday 6 September, with the race beginning at 9.30am. The event is aimed at runners, but only those with confirmed individual or relay entries can take part.
Derry City and Strabane District Council says more than 4,300 individual places and 380 three-person relay team places were taken three months before race day. No entry fee is stated in the supplied information, and no new places are available.
The Lycra Company sponsors the event, which is hosted by the council in partnership with Share Energy and UU. Every finisher will receive a commemorative medal and T-shirt.
The figure-of-eight route crosses Derry three times
The figure-of-eight course begins at Ebrington Square before taking runners beneath the Craigavon Bridge and across the Peace Bridge. It then heads towards Strathfoyle and returns to the Caw Roundabout.
Participants will cross the Foyle Bridge, descend through Bay Park and run up the quay. The closing section takes them back over the Peace Bridge before the finish at Ebrington Square.
The race is chip-timed. Ballykelly runner Ciaran Forrest, who has studied the newly released course map and video, described the route as challenging. He hopes to reach the top of the Foyle Bridge in good time, with the final miles appearing more favourable for running.
Ciaran Forrest returns to a race shaped by family memories
Forrest will run his first Waterside Half Marathon in memory of his grandfather, Bobby Forrest, a former captain of City of Derry Spartans who died in 2022. One of Ciaran’s strongest childhood memories is of Bobby carrying him on his shoulders for the final two miles of the event.
Ciaran moved away 15 years ago and later settled with his wife Marie in Pézenas, near Montpellier, where he worked as an English teacher. The couple returned to the North West with their children, Éneas and Neave, earlier this summer.
He has completed two marathons and five half marathons, including his first marathon in Paris in 2017, but has never previously raced on home soil. His family will be waiting at the Ebrington Square finish as he follows the course associated with his grandfather.
Race-day facts for confirmed entrants
- Date: Sunday 6 September 2026
- Start time: 9.30am
- Start and finish: Ebrington Square, Derry
- Entry status: Sold out
- Race format: Individual half marathon and three-person relay entries
- Timing: Chip-timed
- Finisher items: Commemorative medal and T-shirt
The supplied event information does not give a finish time, accessibility arrangements or transport guidance. Confirmed entrants can also consult this Waterside Half race-day guide for a concise summary of the schedule and course.
The council says the full route map is available through its official Waterside Half Marathon race-day page.
Source: Derry City and Strabane Council News
Context & actions About this article
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The event schedule, route, entry status and personal details were checked against information published by Derry City and Strabane District Council.
- Confirmed the 6 September date, 9.30am start and Ebrington Square venue.
- Checked that all individual and three-person relay entries are sold out.
- Matched the route sequence to the council’s description of the three Derry bridges.
- Retained only the finisher benefits and family details stated by the council.
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- Derry City and Strabane Council News
- Scope
- Derry
- Updated
- 2026-08-26 18:25
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