Hey Crew!
What a month. Winter is knocking on the door, the legs are feeling good, and Perth just pulled off one of its biggest running days of the year. If you were out at the HBF Run for a Reason last weekend let me know how you went!
HBF Run for a Reason 2026… recap
HBF Run for a Reason 2026 · Gloucester Park, East Perth · 24 May 2026
40,000+ Record participants
$1.7M+ Raised for WA charities
14 yrs Running since 2010
Perth showed up in a massive way. Over 40,000 participants hit the streets of the CBD, a record number, raising more than $1.7 million for WA charities. Across 14 years of the event, Perth runners have now collectively raised over $14 million for more than 350 local charities. That is something to be proud of.
The three distances
Half Marathon
21km · Mounts Bay Rd → Northbridge Tunnel → Gloucester Park
Specsavers 12km
12km · Freeway + Northbridge Tunnel + Causeway
CommBank 3km
3km · Perth CBD · Families & first timers
Fill in your results here
Were you out there on Sunday? Hit reply and send me your distance and time I'll feature community results in the next issue. Full race results are live at bluechipresults.com.au
A note on this year's event
This year's event was marked by heartbreak with the loss of a participant. Our thoughts are with their family and loved ones. The spirit and compassion shown by the WA running community in response was a reminder of why we run together. Thank you to the medical teams, organisers and volunteers who worked tirelessly on the day.
May wrap for other Perth events
Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
2 May | Swan River Half Marathon | South Perth |
3 May | Rockingham Coastal Classic | Rockingham |
9–10 May | Cape to Cape Ultra | Hamelin Bay |
10 May | Wings for Life World Run | Optus Stadium |
17 May | Quest Joondalup Running Festival | Neil Hawkins Park |
24 May | HBF Run for a Reason | Gloucester Park, Perth |
June & July: What's coming up?
MY PICK IN JUNE
Swan River Marathon
29 Jun · Rivervale · 7km / 14km / Half / Full
Fast, flat Swan River course. AIMS accredited marathon. Multiple distances for all levels. Perfect mid-year race.
MY PICK — JULY
WA Coastal Running Festival
26 Jul · Burns Beach · 7:30am
Ocean Parade, Burns Beach. Coastal scenery, winter morning, multiple distances. One of the best settings for a race in Perth.
Date | Event | Distances |
|---|---|---|
7 Jun | Burswood Park Run/Walk | Various |
20 Jun | Perth Track/Path Run | 10km |
21 Jun | WA Half Marathon & Ultra | Half / 50km ultra |
27 Jun | Herdy's Frontyard Ultra — Nickol | 6.71km loops |
28 Jun | Burswood Park Run/Walk | Various |
28 Jun | Swan River Marathon | 7km / 14km / Half / Full ⭐ |
5 Jul | Bibra Lake Run/Walk | Various · South Perth |
5 Jul | Shelley Road Run | 3km / 10km · Fast & scenic |
11 Jul | Baldivis Mud/OCR | Obstacle course · South Perth |
12 Jul | South Fremantle Run/Walk | Various |
19 Jul | John Forrest Trail Run | National Park · Scenic trail |
26 Jul | WA Coastal Running Festival | Burns Beach · 7:30am ⭐ |
Training tip running in Perth winter
Embrace the dark starts
Sunrise is later now. Get a good head torch or reflective vest. Dark morning runs are actually some of the best. quiet roads, cool air, no excuses.
Don't skip the warm up
Cold muscles need more time. 5 minutes of easy walking before you run in winter is the single best injury prevention habit you can build right now.
Peak racing season is here
June–August is Perth's best racing window. The cool air means faster times. If you've been building your base since autumn, this is when it pays off.
Perth Running Festival 2026 — 19 weeks away
Sunday 11 October · Optus Stadium · Burswood Park. Charity partner: Telethon. Distances: 4km · 10km · Half Marathon · Marathon. The marathon is AIMS accredited and part of the AbbottWMM Age Group World Rankings. Register at perthrunningfestival.com.au
parkrun every Saturday · Free · Timed · 8:00am
60+ Perth locations · parkrun.com.au
Thanks for being part of The Run Maker. If you ran HBF last weekend, reply and tell me your distance and time. I'll feature community results next issue. And if a mate's been thinking about getting into running, send them the link below.
Keep Running,
Alistair Chegwidden
@therunmaker_ · therunmaker.com