The 40th edition of the Waterside Half Marathon will see runners take on a challenging new route around both sides of the River Foyle after the race organisers announced a number of amendments to the course this week.
A run through the recently opened Strathfoyle Greenway and a grandstand finish across the Peace Bridge and into Ebrington Square are among the revisions to the 13.1 mile course.
Festival and Events Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jacqueline Whoriskey, explained that work on sections of the city’s greenway network made the changes necessary.
“Work on the new footbridge on the Pennyburn section of the greenway and at Coshowen means sections of the existing route are not available to us this year,” she explained.
“While the changes to the route were enforced, we hope runners will enjoy the opportunity to run in new sections of the Waterside – the event’s spiritual home, and we also believe the cityscape will provide a stunning backdrop to the finish at Ebrington Square.
“We wanted to keep as much of the old course as possible as runners have appreciated the opportunity to run through the city centre since the course was amended nine years ago to take in both sides of the river.”
The Waterside Half Marathon route has had several incarnations since the event was first staged as a straight run out from the Limavady Road to Campsie and back in 1981.
The event started and finished in the Gransha Grounds for several years until the course was significantly amended in 2014 to incorporate the bridges and the cityside to create a more scenic and spectator friendly experience.
The 2023 route will begin as normal in Ebrington Square, taking in St Columb’s Park and the greenway down to the Gransha grounds where runners will immediately turn left onto the Strathfoyle Greenway.
The course then takes participants to the end of the greenway through Strathfoyle village before coming back down the A2 Dual Carriageway and right over the Foyle Bridge as they pass the 8 mile mark.
After crossing the bridge, runners take the usual route towards Culmore, turning right towards Boom Hall, under the Foyle Bridge and through Bay Park.
However construction work on the new Pennyburn footbridge means runners will this year run onto the Strand Road after passing the back of the Da Vincis Complex.
Participants will then make their way down the Strand Road until taking a left after the Council Offices onto Queen’s Quay and they will enter the final mile as they make their way past the Foyleside East Carpark and down to the Craigavon Bridge before turning back on themselves to run back up the greenway towards the Peace Bridge.
The climax of the race will take runners across the Peace Bridge and up the mall towards the Ebrington Hotel where they will swing right for an 80 metre dash to the finish gantry.
The 2023 edition will take place on Sunday September 3rd at 9.30am and will feature a running, wheelchair and three person relay section.
Registration costs £25 plus a booking fee while three person team relay costs £65.
Every finisher will receive a 40th anniversary commemorative medal and t shirt.
Registrations are open now at: derrystrabane.com/whm and will close on Sunday August 20th 2023.
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