The YMCA Canberra Runners Club invites new and veteran runners to the 50th YMCA Canberra Half Marathon. This race continues to be a popular half marathon for the local running community, tracing the shore of Lake Burley Griffin in the heart of Canberra.
Registrations are on Register Now and close on Friday 24th May. Standard registration is $60 for members and $80 for non-members.
To preview the course and for inspiration please watch the 2018 YMCA Canberra Half Marathon Video produced by Overall Photography or view the official photographs of the weekend by T8 photography Saturday event and Half Marathon.
2018 results are available on My Race Result.
Final Race Details
Late Entries: People are welcome to enter the race online up until midnight of Friday 24thMay and in person on Saturday 25thMay at race headquarters between 1-3pm with cash or on card. No entries are accepted on race day Sunday 26thMay.
Race Bibs: Pins and race bibs will be available on Saturday afternoon from Race HQ between 1:00 and 3:00pm and again on Sunday from 7am. Race bibs are to be worn on the front. The half marathon is electronically timed and the timing transponder is attached to the rear of the Race Bib. It is important the runners do not cover, bend or damage the bib.
Australian Masters Athletics Participants:Please visit the AMA gazebo during bib pick up to receive your wrist band and introduce yourself to the team.
Volunteering:This event relies on volunteers and we are still looking for people to help out on both the Saturday and Sunday, including people to act as pacers. If you, a friend or a family member can help out please contact Kat using the email activey.canberra@ymca.gov.au
Saturday Events: If you want to stretch the legs there is a 5km race (stopwatch timed) at 2:00pm on the Saturday afternoon which is free to all half marathon entrants and $10 for non-YCRC members. You can sign up on the day.
There is also the family 1.6km mini jog ($5 for kids, free for YCRC members) at 1:30pm on the Saturday (guardians are encouraged to run with those under their care, runners under age 8 must be accompanied by an adult). There will be awesome finisher medals for the kids at the finish line.
Safety on the course: The first 4km of the half marathon are on closed roads, however, the remainder of the run will be on public bike paths. Please keep to the left where possible to allow members of the public to use the path, make sure to look before crossing roads and please be aware of what is going on around you throughout the run.
Time Limits: There is no time limit for the half marathon. If you think that you will take longer than 3 hours to complete the event please email activey.canberra@ymca.org.au
Drink Stations: Drink stations will be situated approximately every 4-5km. They will serve sports drink and water. A drink station will also be at the finish.
First aid: Brindabella First Aid will provide first aid. The will be stationed at the finish and provide mobile support around the course.
Toilets: Toilets include porta-loos near the start/finish. There are also some public toilets available on the course for example in Black Mountain Peninsula, near the Canberra Yacht Club and the Ferry Terminal.
Parking: On Sunday morning for the half marathon you are requested not to park on the lakeside or western side of Flynn Drive as this obstructs the start of the course. Similarly you are requested not to park on Alexandrina Drive between its junction with Flynn Drive and the top entrance to Mariner Place. There will be ample parking in the Kaye Street area, along with the Finance car park on the other side of Commonwealth Avenue using the underpass or in the Lotus Bay area. If you park in the Lotus Bay area particularly on the beach or lakeside please ensure that you do not block the boat ramp access.
Weather and bag drop: In May the weather can be very cool with a light frost in the mornings. It normally brightens up to a calm and sunny day with temperatures in the high teens.
This year’s forecast is currently 5-14 degrees and partly cloudy.
There will be an un-manned bag drop at the race headquarters where you can leave bags, but please do not leave valuables here as it will NOT be continuously monitored by a dedicated volunteer.
Any jumpers or clothes that are left at the start line will be taken to the bag drop tent for collection after the race. If you are dropping clothes at the start try to do it somewhere obvious and not hidden away somewhere we might not see it.
Photographs: Some photographs will be taken during the event and will be made available on the web afterwards.
Finishers Breakfast: Drinks and some snack food will be available for the runners only at the finish.
Food/Beverages: A coffee cart will be available at the Race HQ before and after the race for racer’s and spectators to purchase drinks.
There will also be a stall selling Egg and Bacon rolls for $5.
Change of Course:The course has been changed this year to bring the start line adjacent to Lennox Gardens. This has been achieved by adding in a short out and back opposite the rock garden just before the 12km mark. Volunteers will be on course to direct you.
Due to public works we sometimes have to make small changes to the course. We will make sure that volunteers are strategically placed to ensure that no racers go off track.
Race Day Start:Please remember that we will not be allowing late starters on race day, so please come early and enjoy chatting with some of your fellow racer’s.
Pacing Team: This year we are excited to continue to offer pacers for the race for limited predicted finish times. Please ask at bib collection for pacer details and introduce yourself to your pacer before the start.
Presentations: Presentations will be held starting at around 10:30am.
First Female/Male – Perpetual Trophy and $400
Second Female/Male - $250
Third Female/Male - $100
Fourth and Fifth Female/Male - $50 Runners shop voucher
There will also be barrel draw prizes for all half marathon participants at the end of presentations.
Finishers Medal: All runners who finish the half marathon will receive a finisher’s medal.
Course Map:
A great tradition….
Since our first race running of the Canberra Half Marathon in 1970, we have had many fine athletes compete and take out the race. The list of Race Winners reads like not only a ‘Who’s Who’ of ACT distance running, but contains some of the best athletes the country has produced. Our previous winners include many who have represented their country. Some of the highlights include:
Dave McInnes (1972): A local running legend and long-time sponsor of the Half Marathon. He was so dominant in ACT running that he had the honour of having the entrance road at Stromlo Forest Park named after him.
Derek Froude (1982, 1983): NZ national who studied at the ANU, he represented NZ in the Olympic marathon in 1984 & 1992.
Dave Chettle (1984): Represented Australia at the Montreal Olympic marathon in 1976.
Tani Ruckle (1986): A 2 time Commonwealth Games marathon representative, including the silver medallist in Auckland in 1990.
Steve Austin (1986): Ran the 5k & 10k at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Susan Hobson (1987, 1988, 1993): Long time club member, ACT local and a 3 time Olympian – and the name on the perpetual trophy for the first female in the Half. She competed in the 10k in 1992 & 1996 (17th in the final) and moved up to the marathon in Sydney in 2000 (35th).
Gerard Barrett (1990): Another long-time local and multiple winner of the Canberra marathon. He ran in the marathon at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Kerryn McCann (1992): A 3 time Olympic marathon representative including 11th at Sydney in 2000, she is perhaps most famous for winning the Melbourne Commonwealth Games marathon in one of the greatest races ever.
Martin Dent (2002, 2004): Another local who went on to run 28th in the marathon at the London Olympics in 2012.
Gemechu Woyecha (2012): Represented Qatar in the marathon at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 before moving to Canberra to live.
Andrew Leigh (2018): A representative of a different kind as a Member of the House of Representatives.
Amongst the other winners over the years we have many Australian representatives, be it at World Cross Country Championships, World Road Running Championship events, World University Games and World Junior Games. Many of these runners have used the Canberra Half Marathon as a stepping stone in their athletic career. So take notice of the winner in our 50th year – you never know what a win at the Canberra Half might lead to.
Click here for a complete list of the previous winners.
