Derry’s Waterside Half Marathon crosses three bridges

The sold-out Waterside Half Marathon starts from Ebrington Square in Derry at 9.30am on Sunday, September 6. It is aimed at runners who already hold an individual or relay place, as no further entries remain.

More than 4,300 individual places and 380 three-person relay team places were taken three months before race day. The event is hosted by Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Share Energy and UU, with sponsorship from The Lycra Company.

The route links Derry’s three bridges

The figure-of-eight course starts at Ebrington Square before taking runners beneath Craigavon Bridge and across the Peace Bridge. It then heads towards Strathfoyle and returns to the Caw Roundabout before climbing over the Foyle Bridge.

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

AtheneNet’s Derry race-day overview brings together the confirmed start details, venue and principal route landmarks.

Ciaran Forrest returns for a home-soil first

Among the runners will be Ballykelly man Ciaran Forrest, who is taking part in his first Waterside Half Marathon in memory of his grandfather, Bobby Forrest. Bobby, a former captain of City of Derry Spartans, was closely associated with the race and died in 2022.

Ciaran recalled watching the event as a child and being carried on his grandfather’s shoulders for the final two miles of one edition. Bobby later offered him training and stretching advice before Ciaran ran his first marathon in Paris in 2017.

After travelling abroad 15 years ago, Ciaran settled in Pézenas near Montpellier with his French wife, Marie, and worked as an English teacher. The couple moved to the North West with their children earlier this summer, making the September race his first on home soil.

He has previously completed two marathons and five half marathons. Having studied the newly released course map and video, he expects the Foyle Bridge to be a defining section before the run back to Ebrington Square.

“It’ll be a lovely moment to have my family waiting at the finish line in Ebrington Square and I’ll be thinking of Bobby and the memories he gave us at this event,” he said.

Timing, finishers’ items and remaining information

The race will be chip-timed. Every finisher is due to receive a commemorative medal and T-shirt.

The supplied council information does not state a finishing time or provide further entry-pricing, accessibility or transport details. Registered runners can consult the council’s Waterside Half Marathon race-day information page, where the full route map is available.

Source: Derry City and Strabane Council News