Robbie Burns Day Road Races
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Event overview
The Robbie Burns Day Road Races take place in Burlington, Ontario on Sunday, January 18, 2026. The event is based at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust Street, Burlington, ON L7S 1T7. It offers these distances:
- 8 km Run and Walk - two laps of a 4 km loop
- 4 km Run and Walk - one flat loop through downtown Burlington
Registration includes a finisher medal, post-race oatmeal, awards, and free bag check. The event uses chip timing, provides custom finishers' medals, features live bagpipes at the start, and gives an award for best costume. The race is part of the Burlington Runners Club series and directs a portion of revenue to community partners, including the Fit Active Beautiful Foundation (FAB).
Course, logistics and policies
The course starts and finishes on Elgin Street next to the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and runs a clockwise loop using Elgin, Maple, Richmond, Hager, Olga and Brant streets. Eight-kilometre participants complete the loop twice. Participants must be able to complete 4 km in 45 minutes or 8 km in 90 minutes; there is an interim cutoff at 4 km. Marshals and police are at major intersections, but many driveways are unmonitored.
Advanced kit pickup is available the day before at the Running Room store, 3300 Fairview St. A bib mail-out option is available for a $7 fee until two weeks before the race. Bag check is free and located inside the Performing Arts Centre. Parking: free municipal garage on Locust Street (about 400 spots) and additional municipal lots #7, #8 and #3 nearby. No refunds; transfers and deferrals are allowed for a fee by posted deadlines. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
