Grab your sneakers, Lake Mac Running Festival returns to Warners Bay

‘Running’ again, the Lake Macquarie Running Festival is an all-inclusive event promoting physical and mental health in the region.

Having commenced in 1984 as the Lake Macquarie Half Marathon, the day was expanded in 2010 to offer a more community-friendly set of events. These include the Yoghurtland Kids 4K Scamper, the Coal Services 10.5K Fun Run and the Pure Performance Half Marathon.

The event also includes family-friendly entertainment such as jumping castles, face painting and activities, making it a full-day experience for both runners and spectators.

The course covers a relatively flat, completely traffic free stretch of foreshore, starting and finishing in Warners Bay.

Runners will commence near the King Street roundabout and those completing the Fun Run and Half Marathon will following the water, through Speers Point, before turning around and returning to their starting point.

The festival is open to runners of all skill levels and for those of you who are a bit hesitant, the organisers offer a six week training program to get you started.

The three big takeaways from the program are to get yourself a running buddy, get your feet into some high-quality runners and if you don’t have much running experience start slow!

Don’t be afraid to walk for a while to get yourself into the groove.

Lake Macquarie Running Festival

When: Sunday 13 September 2026
Where: Lake Macquarie foreshore, The Esplanade, Warners Bay, NSW
Time: From 7:15am (race start times vary)
Cost: $35 – $100 (Early Bird pricing available)

Late registrations are available online up to 30 minutes before each race.

For more information visit: Lake Macquarie Running Festival