News

Ciaran’s homecoming run in memory of legendary Spartan Bobby

20 August 2026

Ballykelly runner Ciaran Forrest will take part in his first Waterside Half Marathon next month in memory of his grandfather and one of the event’s stalwarts Bobby Forrest.

The Waterside Half was the scene of one of his standout memories of his grandfather, a former captain of City of Derry Spartans, who sadly passed away in 2022.
Ciaran, his French wife Marie and two young children relocated to the North West from France earlier this summer and the race on Sunday September 6^th will be his first on home soil.
“I have great memories of watching the Waterside Half as a youngster and supporting my granda,” recalls Ciaran who went travelling 15 years ago and settled in the French town of Pézenas, near Montpellier with Marie where he worked as an English teacher.
“My greatest memory is him picking me up and running the last two miles of the course with me on his shoulders – you can imagine how exciting that was for a youngster.
“Before I ran my first marathon in Paris in 2017, I went to see him when I was home and, even though he was in his 70s, he hadn’t lost his enthusiasm for running and was sharing training tips and showing me how to stretch.
“I won’t get anywhere near the times he recorded when he was in his prime but it’s a proud moment for me to come home and follow in their footsteps.”
With son Éneas and daughter Neave now at primary school age the family felt the time was right to make the move and the timing couldn’t have been better for Ciaran’s latest running challenge. 
“I’ve done two marathons, and five half marathons but I’ve never had the opportunity to run at home so the Waterside Half fell perfectly for me.
“The course map and video was released this week so I’ve been able to have a look at it, it definitely looks challenging but hopefully if I can get to the top of the Foyle Bridge in good time then the last few miles look like good running.
“It’ll be a lovely moment to have my family waiting at the finish line in Ebrington Square and I’ll be thinking of Bobby and the memories he gave us at this event.”
The Waterside Half Marathon is sponsored by The Lycra Company and hosted by Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Share Energy and UU.
The event is sold out with over 4,300 individual places and 380 three person relay team places all snapped up three months ahead of race day.
The race will start at 9.30am and the figure of eight course will take runners from Ebrington Square, to under the Craigavon Bridge, over the Peace Bridge, up to Strathfoyle and back down to the Caw Roundabout, over the Foyle Bridge, down Bay Park, up the quay and over the Peace Bridge to the finish line in Ebrington Square.
The event is chip-timed and every finisher receives a commemorative medal and t shirt.
For race day information visit www.derrystrabane.com/whm where there is a full route map.