What date is ‘Run for the Firies’ on in 2026?
‘Run for the Firies’ is on the 25th of October, 2026.
What events are there …
‘Run for the Firies’ has the following events:
For those that wish to participate as a Virtual Runner we also have:
How do I register for an event?
The link for online Event Registrations is
2026 — Run for the Firies — Race Roster — Registration, Marketing, Fundraising
When do registrations Close?
Participants can register at the Registration Desk at the start/finish line up to 10 minutes before the event commences.
What is a Team and how do I register one?
Anyone can create a team.
When you create a team, by default you will be the Team Manager, and will be asked to create a unique password that can be made available to others in your team registering for the event. The Team Manager can also ‘add’ others to their team, if they have previously registered prior to Team creation.
An individual can also retrospectively add themselves to an existing Team using the Participant’s Dashboard.
There are five existing team groupings:
Where is the start/finish line?
The start and finish line is at the oval, Eltham North Adventure Playground, off Wattle Tree Road in Eltham North, Vic., Melway Map 21 K 1.
What is the race start time?
What is the cut-off time?
With the Community Bank Eltham & Diamond Creek (Bendigo Bank) – Half-Marathon starting at 07:00 am, the Race Organisers have set a race cut-off time of 09:55 am for all classes. This will allow commencement of the presentations to occur from 10:00am.
What are the race entry fees?
| Standard | Early Bird |
|---|---|---|
Half Marathon | $75 | $65 |
10.6 km | $55 | $45 |
6 km | $45 | $40 |
4 km (run and walk) | $35 | $30 |
Virtual | $35 | $30 |
Where can I park?
Car parking locations can be found in the Event Location tab on the ‘Run for the Firies’ website, https://runforthefiries.com/index.php/race-day-information/.
The event will be held at the Eltham North Adventure Playground Reserve. While there is plenty of parking available nearby, the Run for the Firies Team encourages participants to carpool or be dropped off by a friend to reduce the strain on parking in the local area.
In addition to the parking at the Adventure Playground, there is additional parking available at the soccer field which is located about 300m North on Wattletree Rd.
There is also on-street parking available behind Eltham North Primary School in Lower Rd and in the Edendale Farm carpark.
Early arrivers, and those with disabilities / special needs, will be able to park in the Adventure Playground parking area. When the carpark is full, the entrance to road will be closed off.
How do I pick up my bib?
Bibs can be picked up beforehand at the Research CFA station, 3 Research-Warrandyte Road, Research on the following dates:
Alternatively, participants can pick up their bibs on the day from the registration desk. Please have the email with your bib number available and allow sufficient time before the event starts.
Do I get a medal?
All entrants will receive a ‘Run for the Firies’ medal. One medal is specifically for runners doing the half-marathon with all other runners/walkers getting a different medal design.
All virtual run participants will receive a ‘Run for the Firies’ medal – please ensure the address details you provide when registering for the virtual run are suitable for mail delivery. These medals will be mailed out in early November.
What trophies are there?
There are trophies for the fastest male and female runner for each event:
Fastest time is determined from the “gun time” and the time of passing the finish gate as provided from the Tomato Timing solution.
There are no trophies for the virtual runners.
There will also be a trophy for the Best Team and best CFA/Emergency Services Team, based on the total amount raised for the 2026 ‘Run for the Firies’ event.
Determination of the amount raised for the Best Team will be based on the following criteria:
When will the presentations start?
Presentations will start at 10:00am on race day.
When can I do my virtual run?
Virtual runs can be completed any time during the month of October. Please email details of your run to runforthefiries@gmail.com.
General Information
Participants in RFTF will not be allowed to use bikes, scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, Segways, hover boards or other devices for the safety of other participants.
This is spring in this area and much of the course is either in and around the Eltham North Reserve or, for the longer distances, along the Aqueduct Trail. In the event you witness animals along the course, e.g., kangaroos or a snake; or an incident, such as fire; please do not approach the animals or incident. Please notify, or have someone notify, the next available Marshal immediately.
In the event of an injury, you must notify, or have someone notify, the next available Marshal or, if circumstances warrant it, call 000. Participants need to follow the directions of all officials for the duration of the event. In the event of a vehicle requiring entry to the course, especially in the event of an emergency, participants must move directly off the road and wait until all vehicles have passed before re-entering the course. Traffic Control is in place to support necessary road closures.
Dogs are welcome to participate with either the 4km walk or run, but we do recognise that they pose a potential risk to other runners, to volunteers, and to members of the Public, more broadly. With that in mind we ask participants planning to attend with dogs to abide by the following rules:
You will need to have completed the course by 10.00am. If you haven’t completed the course, you will need to make your own way back to the Oval.
Cancellation of the event policy including inclement weather
The event waiver provides some specific commentary around any potential need to either modify or cancel the event or any of the sub-events.
These include:
