For thousands taking on the shorter Bridge to Brisbane course, race morning will begin at Hercules Park in Hamilton, where the Blue Run 5km will set off as the event marks 30 years with registrations already above 30,000.
The 2026 event will be held on Sunday, 13 September, with organisers aiming for a record 40,000 participants. Registrations reached 30,000 more than a month before race day, only about two weeks after passing 25,000.
For Hamilton, the Blue Run 5km places Hercules Park at the beginning of a morning that will bring together runners, walkers and wheelchair participants before they make their way towards the Brisbane Showgrounds.
A Race Morning Beginning in Hamilton
The Blue Run 5km will start from Hercules Park from 10am and is open to all ages.
Some participants will be chasing their own running goals, while others will be taking part with family and friends or raising money for a cause. The course can be run, walked or wheeled, giving the shorter event a broad mix of participants.
Children aged 11 and under can take part but must remain with a registered parent or guardian for the entire race. Everyday wheelchair users can also enter the general 5km event.
General entries are $75 and remain available until 2pm on Saturday, 12 September, unless sold out earlier. Registration includes an event shirt, race number, timing, finisher’s certificate, medal and free transport.
Blue Run Carries Men’s Health Focus
The Hamilton start also forms part of a fundraising effort centred on men’s health.
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital is a sponsor and Gold Charity Partner of the Blue Run 5km, with Team RBWH Foundation using the race to raise awareness of men’s health and prostate cancer.
Money raised through the team will support work around men’s health awareness, including the importance of prostate cancer testing and early detection.
Charity fundraising has long been part of Bridge to Brisbane. Participants raised about $1.1 million for hundreds of local charities in 2025, when more than 38,000 people took part.
From Hercules Park to the Showgrounds
While the 5km begins in Hamilton, the event’s 10km course starts earlier in the morning from the southern end of the Gateway Bridge at Murarrie.
The La Roche-Posay 10km starts from 6am, taking participants across the Gateway Bridge before continuing to the Brisbane Showgrounds. Its finish line is at the Showbag Pavilion through Gate 5 on O’Connell Terrace in Bowen Hills.
The 10km is also open to all ages, with the same requirement for entrants aged 11 and under to be accompanied throughout the race. Everyday wheelchair users can enter the general event, while a separate racing wheelchair category is available for the 10km.
Three Decades of Bridge to Brisbane
Bridge to Brisbane began in 1997 and has since recorded more than 700,000 participants and more than $14 million raised for charity.
Events Management Queensland will deliver the event for the first time in 2026. Chief executive Ben Mannion has described the growing registration numbers as part of the momentum surrounding the anniversary while maintaining the community character built across the event’s three decades.
For the Blue Run 5km, that community participation will begin at Hercules Park, where families, walkers, runners and wheelchair participants will gather for the 10am start before heading towards the Brisbane Showgrounds.
Published 11-August-2026
