The inaugural Armidale Running Festival is set for the weekend of 14–15 March, with 863 runners registered to run a combined total of 8,552.9km. That’s equivalent to the distance from Armidale to London!
Community spirit is the engine driving this family-friendly race weekend.
“From the very first conversation with Council 18 months ago, community-wide support for getting this off the ground has been just incredible,” said Ryan Kelso, one of 50 local volunteers involved in putting the festival together.
“Armidale is such an extraordinarily beautiful place that we’ve set out to inspire the rest of Australia to want to experience it with this well thought out weekend of fun.”
Armidale Regional Council has supported the event through Creeklands preparation and traffic management, in line with their strategic goals of strengthening sports tourism, enhancing community wellbeing, and fostering regional vibrancy.
“The Running Festival adds to Armidale’s growing calendar of regional events that stimulate the local economy and highlight our city as a great place to visit, invest, and live,” Mayor Sam Coupland said.
A picturesque out-and-back running circuit starts in the heart of town at Civic Park and traces scenic Armidale Creeklands, making it easy for supporters to get close to the action and cheer on competitors.
“The figure 8 format means runners aren’t leaving family and friends behind from the start line,” Ryan said.
“The kids can run around and have some fun and spectators can grab a bite to eat while watching from the sidelines.”
A later than usual start time for racing on the Saturday allows for locals to do their Saturday morning shop before food trucks and free entertainment get underway at the event and gives out-of-towners time to explore the town centre and local sights.
“Thanks to every single sponsor committing to a Gold Sponsorship this first year out, we’re able to treat spectators to a host of free activities like jumping castles, face painting, live music, and interactive zones so they can fill a family day out without breaking the budget,” Ryan said.
“We also want to do the right thing by our small business partners by making sure they can also benefit from the foot traffic this is bringing to town.”
As many as 40% of runners registered are from outside the Armidale postcode. Making a weekend of it for their whole family is made all the more accessible by affordable entry fees, subsidised by sponsor contributions. Local sponsorship has made entry to a 1km Fun Run free for 150 children and school groups from across the region competing in the event’s first year, and the event will also be raising money for a local family in need.
“Local kids have really rallied in support of a young boy named Rory who’s been diagnosed with a rare muscular condition,” Ryan said.
“100% of the proceeds from all merchandise sold over the festival weekend will be donated to his family to help out with the equipment and care he needs.”
Event organisers hope to see the number of young people participating in races continue to increase over time. The future vision is for Armidale Running Festival to become a highlight of the national racing calendar and a must-do destination experience, as well as a feature of the annual Autumn Festival
“We’ve structured things so that anyone travelling to Armidale for the festival weekend can aim to arrive on Friday evening and enjoy a restaurant meal with the family, then take a look around town and maybe visit some waterfalls on Saturday morning before heading to the main event,” Ryan said.
Entries have now closed for the inaugural Armidale Running Festival in 2026, but even if you’re not on the track for this one, there’s plenty to enjoy.
Follow Armidale Running Festival on socials for updates.
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