Sydney's west has been crying out for a marquee running event, and in 2026 it finally gets one. The inaugural Parramatta Half Marathon lands on Sunday 21 June 2026, and it's not messing about: 8,000 runners, fully closed roads, and a finish line inside CommBank Stadium. If you've ever wanted to feel like a pro running out onto the turf to a roaring crowd, this is your moment.
The single 21.1km route is a love letter to the City of Parramatta. You start on O'Connell Street, loop through the leafy calm of Parramatta Park, weave through the CBD, and trace the river foreshore before that stadium finish. It's fully closed roads, so there's no dodging traffic or footpath cyclists, just you, the road, and a PB waiting to happen.
Already has. The inaugural event sold out across all three entry waves (early, general and final) well before race day, a huge vote of confidence for a first-year event. If you missed out, get on the mailing list early for next year, because this one is only going to get bigger.
Let's be honest, the finish is the headline act. Crossing the line inside CommBank Stadium is the kind of finish-line theatre usually reserved for the world majors. Bring your best finish-line pose.
Parramatta is one of the best-connected spots in Sydney: frequent trains, light rail, and ferries up the river all funnel into the CBD. Organisers have flagged free public transport for participants (T&Cs apply), so leave the car at home.
Entry includes a premium running shirt, a finisher's medal, aid stations along the route, and free race photos, a genuinely tidy package for a debut event. Add the rockstar stadium finish and it's easy to see why word spread fast.
