Ards Half Marathon 2026

The Ards Half Marathon is an established fixture on the Northern Ireland road racing calendar, first held in 2008 and organised by Scrabo Striders. The race starts and finishes at the Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing and Leisure Complex in Newtownards, sending runners through the towns and countryside of the Ards Peninsula on a route certified by Athletics Northern Ireland. The course is undulating to hilly on roads and footpaths, looping through Newtownards and the surrounding countryside before returning to the finish. The event has a reputation as one of the tougher half marathons in the province. It is held under an Athletics Northern Ireland permit, is chip timed, and all finishers receive a bespoke medal and t-shirt. Typically held on the last Friday of June at 6:30pm.