2026 Calgary First Responders Half Marathon

The Calgary First Responders Half Marathon takes place in October (Sunday, October 18, 2026) in Calgary, Alberta and is organized by Multisportscanada as part of the First Responders Half Marathon series. The series has a documented results archive dating back to 2015, and the Calgary stop has become an annual fall fixture that highlights and supports first responders in the community.

The event offers a range of distances to suit different goals: a 21K half marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a 1K fun run. Race day runs on a single Sunday with a staged start: the half marathon begins at 10:00 a.m., the 10K at 10:30 a.m., and the 5K and 1K at 11:00 a.m. There is also a team category for the half and 10K where four-person teams register and receive an averaged team time (this is not a relay). Packet pickup is scheduled for the day before the race and by request on race morning.

What sets this edition apart is the setting and the cause. The course runs along Calgary’s Bow River pathway system with a start/finish at St. Patrick’s Island Park — The Rise, giving runners a riverside urban route. Entries include a short-sleeve cotton race shirt (for registrations completed before October 2), a finisher medal, on-course fluid stations and post-race snacks; chip timing is used when minimum attendance is met. The event supports OSI‑CAN and Wounded Warriors Canada and offers a reduced-entry fundraising option (register for $40 and commit to raising a minimum for the charities).

Registration is open now through the race platform; fee tiers increase on January 1, May 1 and October 1 and entries received after October 2 are not guaranteed event merchandise. Runners can register individually or sign up a four-person team for the half or 10K.

• Start and finish at St. Patrick’s Island Park — The Rise
• Course follows George C. King Bridge south, then west along Calgary’s Bow River Pathway system
• Half marathon is two identical laps with a 5.5 km turnaround point (500 m past the 5K turnaround); 10K turns at 5K, 5K at 2.5K, 1K turns near the water station on the bridge
• Route runs on the Bow River multi-use pathway through urban riverside parks
• On-course fluid (aid) stations provided; event operates as a cup-free race so runners are encouraged to bring their own bottle

• Scenic Bow River route: 21K runners complete two identical laps along the Bow River Pathway with start/finish at St. Patrick’s Island Park — The Rise
• Team competition: Four-person teams for the half and 10K receive a team time calculated as the average of all four individual finish times (all members run together; not a relay)
• Charity support option: Reduced-entry fundraising category lets runners register for $40 and commit to raising a minimum amount for OSI‑CAN and Wounded Warriors Canada
• Included finisher benefits: Entry packages include a short-sleeve cotton shirt (if registered before Oct 2) and an event finisher medal
• On-course support: Fluid aid stations along the route and post-race snacks for finishers