Derry Waterside Half Marathon: Three Bridges on Sept 6

The sold-out Waterside Half Marathon returns to Derry on Sunday, 6 September 2026, starting at 9.30am from Ebrington Square. The event is for runners who already hold individual or relay places, with more than 4,300 individual entries and 380 three-person relay team places claimed three months before race day.

Hosted by Derry City and Strabane District Council, the chip-timed race follows a figure-of-eight course across three of the city’s bridges before returning to Ebrington Square. No entry price is stated in the supplied event information; the confirmed booking status is sold out.

Race-day details at a glance

• Date: Sunday, 6 September 2026
• Start time: 9.30am local time
• Start and finish: Ebrington Square, Derry
• Entry status: Sold out
• Format: Individual half marathon and three-person relay
• Timing: Chip-timed
• Finisher items: Commemorative medal and T-shirt

No end time, accessibility arrangements or race-day transport instructions are included in the supplied information.

The figure-of-eight route crosses Derry three times

Runners will leave Ebrington Square and head beneath Craigavon Bridge before crossing the Peace Bridge. The course then travels towards Strathfoyle and returns to the Caw Roundabout ahead of the climb over Foyle Bridge.

From there, competitors will descend through Bay Park, continue along the quay and cross the Peace Bridge again for the finish in Ebrington Square. The sequence places the Foyle Bridge climb before the final miles back towards the city-centre finish.

Entrants preparing for the course can review the available Derry race route overview alongside the full map provided through the organiser’s race information page.

Ciaran Forrest’s homecoming carries a family memory

Among the runners will be Ballykelly athlete Ciaran Forrest, taking part in his first Waterside Half Marathon on home soil. He returned to the North West from France with his wife Marie and their two children earlier this summer.

Forrest is running in memory of his grandfather Bobby Forrest, a former captain of City of Derry Spartans and a longstanding figure at the event who died in 2022. One of Ciaran’s strongest childhood memories is of Bobby carrying him on his shoulders while running the final two miles of the course.

Ciaran later settled in Pézenas, near Montpellier, and worked as an English teacher. Before his first marathon in Paris in 2017, he sought advice from his grandfather, who continued sharing training and stretching tips while in his 70s.

Having completed two marathons and five half marathons, Ciaran described returning for the Derry race as a proud opportunity to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. His family will be waiting at the Ebrington Square finish.

What registered runners receive at the finish

Every finisher is due to receive a commemorative medal and T-shirt. The event is sponsored by The Lycra Company and hosted by Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Share Energy and UU.

With no further individual or relay entries available, the practical next step for registered runners is to study the published course map, particularly the approach to Foyle Bridge and the return across Peace Bridge to Ebrington Square.

Source: Derry City and Strabane Council News