Derry Waterside Half Marathon: Route Set for Sept 6

The Waterside Half Marathon will bring a sold-out field to Derry on Sunday, 6 September 2026. The 13.1-mile race starts at 9.30am, with both the start and finish at Ebrington Square.

More than 4,300 individual places and entries for 125 three-person relay teams were taken three months before race day. The event is therefore open only to runners who have already secured places. The council notice lists no entry price and provides no dedicated transport or accessibility information.

Organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, the chip-timed event follows a figure-of-eight course around the banks of the Foyle. Every finisher is due to receive a commemorative medal and T-shirt.

Read also: Derry Waterside Half Marathon: Three Bridges on Sept 6

Three Derry bridges shape the 13.1-mile course

From Ebrington Square, runners will head beneath Craigavon Bridge before crossing the Peace Bridge and continuing towards Strathfoyle. The course then turns back towards the Caw Roundabout and crosses the Foyle Bridge.

The final section descends through Bay Park and continues along the quay. Competitors cross the Peace Bridge again before returning to the finish line in Ebrington Square.

That layout places Craigavon Bridge, the Peace Bridge and the Foyle Bridge within one continuous route. A full route map and further race-day information are available through the official Waterside Half Marathon page identified by the council.

Mums on the Run step up from 5K to the half marathon

Among the thousands taking part will be members of Mums on the Run, a local group that developed through the Minding Mum perinatal mental health project delivered by Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership.

The running group began in 2023 after health visitor assistant and coach Laura Mitchell proposed a Couch to 5K programme for mothers involved in the project. Seven Couch to 5K programmes have since been completed, with each group marking its graduation at Derry City Parkrun while running with prams.

Project manager Christine McBride said the mothers continued training together after those initial programmes, forming friendships and a support network while working towards longer distances. Some progressed through events including Jog in the Bog and the Walled City Ten Miler before taking on the Waterside Half Marathon.

The group continues to train with prams, connecting physical activity with the peer support at the heart of the Minding Mum project. Friends and relatives who have supported the runners are expected to cheer them along the course on race day.

Race-day details for registered runners

The Waterside Half Marathon is hosted by Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Share Energy and Ulster University, with sponsorship from The Lycra Company.

Registered competitors should use the council’s official event information for the full route map and any race-day instructions. New mothers interested in joining Mums on the Run can contact Minding Mum on 07719 532034 or find the project through Minding Mum Waterside on Facebook and mindingmum_wnp on Instagram.

Source: Derry City and Strabane Council News