Derry’s Waterside Half Marathon returns on September 6

The Waterside Half Marathon returns to Derry on Sunday, September 6, starting at 9.30am at Ebrington Square. Entry is sold out, with more than 4,300 individual places and 125 three-person relay team places taken three months before race day. The event is aimed at registered runners, while friends and families are expected along the route to support participants.

Organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, the chip-timed race starts and finishes in Ebrington Square. Runners will cover 13.1 miles around the banks of the Foyle, passing three of the city’s bridges before returning to the square.

Three bridges shape the figure-of-eight course

From Ebrington Square, runners will head beneath Craigavon Bridge and cross the Peace Bridge. The route then continues towards Strathfoyle before turning back towards Caw Roundabout.

Read also: Derry’s Waterside Half Marathon crosses three bridges

Competitors will cross the Foyle Bridge, descend through Bay Park and run along the quay. The final section takes them back over the Peace Bridge and into Ebrington Square for the finish.

Every finisher will receive a commemorative medal and T-shirt. The council’s race information page also carries the full route map for runners and anyone planning where to follow the event.

The Waterside Half Marathon is hosted by the council in partnership with Share Energy and UU, with sponsorship from The Lycra Company. The council announcement does not state the entry price or provide transport and accessibility arrangements for race day.

From Couch to 5K to 13.1 miles

Among the thousands preparing for the course are members of Mums on the Run, a local group that developed from the Minding Mum perinatal mental health project run through Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership.

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

Members continued training together under the Mums on the Run name. Some progressed from the initial 5K programme to events including Jog in the Bog and the Walled City Ten Miler, followed by the 13.1-mile Waterside Half Marathon.

Minding Mum Project Manager Christine McBride said the training had helped participants build friendships, confidence and a support network. She also highlighted the example the women set for their children by remaining active and working towards shared goals.

“Their journey is a fantastic example of the positive impact that connection, physical activity and peer support can have on perinatal mental health,” McBride said.

Confirmed details for race day

The race begins at 9.30am on Sunday, September 6, with both the start and finish at Ebrington Square. Individual and relay entries are already sold out, so the confirmed field is now preparing for the figure-of-eight route through Derry.

Race-day information and the complete course map are available through Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Waterside Half Marathon page. New mothers interested in joining Mums on the Run can contact Minding Mum on 07719 532034 or find the project through its named Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Source: Derry City and Strabane Council News