01
Team
Cruise
Walk or jog socially. The community team, relaxed, inclusive and open to every fitness level.
Walk / jog1 lap or multi lap
Lake Burley GriffinFriday 23 October 20268:00am–8:00pm
The Nightshift
Run Challenge
12 shifts. One purpose.
One lap, multi-lap or all 12.
Team or solo.
Nightshift: The Run Challenge begins Friday 23 October 2026 at 8:00am.
6.4km laps, every hour✳1 lap✳Multi lap✳All 12 laps✳Choose your challenge✳Supporting Barnardos Australia✳
01 / The Challenge
Twelve hours
on the lake
On Friday 23 October 2026, Nightshift holds its biggest event yet, a 12-hour community run challenge on Lake Burley Griffin, starting and finishing at Walt & Burley on the Kingston Foreshore.
A new 6.4km lap, up and back, leaves every hour, on the hour. You don't need to run all twelve. Take one lap, drop in for multi laps across the day, or take on all 12.
12
Hours
6.4
km lap
77
km, all 12 laps
6.4KM
The loop · start & finish
Walt & Burley, Kingston Foreshore
02 / 12 Hours
Every hour,
a new start line
Scroll the day. Twelve departures from 8:00am, the light going with each one, until the whole community lines up together at 7:00pm.
6.4km per lap 77km, all 12 laps
03 / Three pace teams
Choose your
challenge
Whatever ticket you hold, pick the experience that suits you. Same laps, same finish line, same purpose.
Team
02
Team
Race
Push the pace. For runners who want to go a little harder alongside others chasing the same thing.
Faster lapsOpen entry
03
Team
Endurance
Take on the full endurance challenge, all 12 laps, roughly 77km from the first start line to the last.
All 12 laps~77km
047:00pm
The final lap
Everyone.
At 7:00pm all three teams and the wider community line up together for the last lap of the day. The goal is simple, get as many people as possible on that start line and finish the day on a Nightshift high. Pizza and drinks at Walt & Burley after.
05 / Why we run
Raising money for
Barnardos Australia
For some young people, night is when life becomes the hardest.
Nightshift has always been about helping people feel safer through community and connection. This challenge carries that from the day into the night, raising funds for Barnardos Australia and its work supporting young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
$5,500 supports one young person for twelve months.
06 / Partner with us
Get your business
involved
Every $5,500 raised can support one young person for 12 months.
Community Hour Partner | In-Kind Support
Designed for local and small businesses who want to get behind Nightshift and contribute to making the event happen. Or, if your business can contribute your services, products, resources or time on the day, we'd love to hear from you too. Your business will be recognised as part of the community backing this year's event, and we'd love to have your team come down, get involved and run with us on the day.
Corporate Hour Partner
Take on a larger role in the campaign, including recognition for an hour of the day, team participation, event content and a dedicated sponsor spotlight across Nightshift social channels. Choose an available hour between 8am and 8pm and make it your company's hour. Bring your team, run with us and get your people involved.
Partnership enquiry
Discuss a
partnership
Tell us about your business and the kind of involvement you have in mind, and we will come back to you with the details.
07The Club
A safe way
to run at night
Nightshift is a Canberra community run club built on movement, connection and purpose. It started to give people a safe, welcoming way to run at night as part of a group.
It was never only about running, or pace. It's about connection, community and making movement feel accessible to more people. Run by Eighty8, open to everyone.
08 / Past Nightshifts
Two rounds
already run
Nightshift has taken the lake twice. The Run Challenge is round three.
28 February 2026
RND 1
The first Nightshift brought the community together for a 5-7km night loop around Lake Burley Griffin, built on the idea of moving through the city together after dark. Runners of every ability were encouraged to simply show up.
5-7km loopFinished at Rosa's
29 May 2026
RND 2
Nightshift returned for a second run around the lake, opening the concept beyond running to anyone who wanted to walk, jog, run or ride, whatever their pace. It also carried a purpose, raising awareness for Barnardos Australia around youth homelessness and mental health.
Walk, jog, run or rideBarnardos Australia
12 hours/One community/One purpose/
Registrations now open
Take the
night shift
Walt & Burley, Kingston ForeshoreFriday 23 October 20268:00am–8:00pm