Canberra in November is genuinely one of the great seasonal experiences in Australia. The city is buried in spring blossoms, the air is crisp and clean, and the Parliamentary Triangle looks like something out of a civic design fantasy (which, to be fair, it basically is — Walter Burley Griffin planned this stuff to look exactly this impressive). The Canberra Times Fun Run, held on the first Sunday of November, puts you right in the middle of it all, with a course that takes in the very best of Australia's planned capital.
The 2026 Canberra Times Fun Run starts at Rond Terrace near the National Library on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin. From there, courses wind past the Parliamentary Triangle, through Commonwealth Park, and around the lake — with views of Parliament House, the National Gallery, and the Carillon throughout. It's the kind of course that works as a sightseeing tour as much as a race, and the flat, lake-side terrain makes it fast when you want to push.
Four distances are on offer for 2026: the Half Marathon (21.1km), the 10km, the 5km, and a 2km Kids Run. Whether you're training for something bigger or just want a gorgeous Sunday morning run through the capital, the CTFun Run has you covered.
Canberra gets an unfair reputation as a boring government town, usually from people who've never actually been. In reality, it's a surprisingly vibrant city with extraordinary museums, a thriving food scene, and some of the most beautiful planned urban landscapes in Australia. Running a race here means you'll also have time to visit the Australian War Memorial, the National Gallery, or Parliament House — and then eat and drink your way through Braddon or Kingston in the evening. Not a bad weekend.
Canberra Airport is a short drive from the course, with regular flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and beyond. The drive from Sydney is around 3 hours; from Melbourne, it's a little under 7. Accommodation options in Canberra are solid, particularly around the city centre and Barton, which are both close to the course.
