Bunbury is Western Australia's second-largest city, and its geography is genuinely unusual: it sits at the junction of three bodies of water — the Indian Ocean, Koombana Bay, and Leschenault Inlet. The 3 Waters Running Festival takes its name from this, and the course makes the most of it, weaving through the waterfront precincts that define the city's character. Organised by the Bunbury Runners Club (one of WA's most active regional running clubs) with support from the City of Bunbury, this event has become a fixture on the WA running calendar.
Starting from Ocean Drive — Bunbury's spectacular oceanfront road — the course takes runners along the coast, around Koombana Bay, and through the city's waterfront parks. The terrain is flat and the courses are World Athletics certified. Popular distances sell out — both the marathon and half marathon typically fill quickly — so early registration is essential at runbunbury.com.au.
Marathon (42.2km), Half Marathon (21.1km), 10km, and 5km. An additional 50km ultra distance is also available for those who find marathons insufficiently long. April in Bunbury is ideal running weather: cool, clear, and with the summer heat thoroughly gone.
Bunbury is home to the Dolphin Discovery Centre, where dolphins regularly visit the beach. It's entirely possible you'll see dolphins in Koombana Bay on your race morning. This is not a common feature of most running events.
Bunbury is about 2 hours south of Perth via the Kwinana Freeway and South Western Highway. There's no commercial airport, so driving or the Transwa Australind train service from Perth are the practical options. Good accommodation is available in the city centre close to the race precinct.
