Route & Stages

Leg 1

Saturday September 12th

Saturday, 12 September 2026 · St. John’s and the Southern Shore

Targa Newfoundland’s 25th running begins in the oldest city in North America. The field leaves the Holiday Inn Saturday morning, rolls through a ceremonial start at Mary Brown’s Centre, then heads south along the shore toward Burnt Cove, Bauline East and Tors Cove.

It is a short competitive day by Targa standards — about 18 kilometres of closed-road stages inside a 154-kilometre loop — but it is the first look at the island and the first chance for crews to settle in. Burnt Cove and Bauline East are the same stretch of road run in both directions: narrow, fast, and full of elevation change, with broken shoulders if you get greedy. Tors Cove is the sting in the tail, a tight little loop with sharp corners and big drops, run more than once.

Lunch is in Witless Bay. Service is in Tors Cove. By evening the cars are back in St. John’s for the Hickman Motors car show at 7:00 p.m.

Spectators: the Southern Shore villages are the place to be Saturday afternoon. Please stay well off the road, listen to marshals, and give the crews room.

Leg 2

Sunday September 13th

Sunday, 13 September 2026 · St. John’s to Clarenville

The event leaves the city and goes west. First car is away from the Holiday Inn at 7:30 a.m. By nine the field is on Mount Carmel — an older road with long, fast stretches and a tight pinch at the Harricott bridge. Then comes North Harbour, one of the longest tests of the week: almost 45 kilometres of open country and big scenery. That road is not closed. Local traffic is still on it.

The afternoon belongs to the Cape Shore. Point Lance is run in and then back out after lunch at the Community Centre. Sanctuary and Cape St. Mary’s are the same narrow ribbon both ways — few turns, serious dips, and ditches that do not forgive. Fog and mist are common out there. St. Bride’s is the closer: nearly 40 kilometres, fast, through small communities, with broken edges on the downhill.

Service is at Careen’s in Branch and later at Walter Manning & Sons in St. Bride’s. After St. Bride’s the cars take the Long Harbour Transit Challenge and finish the day at Hickman Motors in Clarenville around 5:00 p.m. There is no car show Sunday night.

About 156 kilometres of stages inside a 406-kilometre day.

Spectators: Point Lance, Cape St. Mary’s and St. Bride’s are the places to stand. Stay well off the pavement — those ditches are real. On North Harbour, treat it like a public highway. The cars are competing. You are not.

Leg 3

Monday September 14th

Monday, 14 September 2026 · Clarenville to Gander

The field leaves Hickman Motors at 7:30 a.m. and heads for the Eastport Peninsula. Port Blandford opens the day — short, fast, and run more than once. Then the cars drop into Happy Adventure, Eastport Beach and Salvage, the oldest continuously settled community on the island and a Targa favourite for twenty-five years.

Lunch is at the Salvage Longhouse. Service is at Squires North Atlantic and the Royal Canadian Legion in Eastport. Eastport North and Burnside close the peninsula, then the Gambo West Transit Challenge carries the field into Gander. Car show at Hickman Motors, Gander, 7:00 p.m.

About 58 kilometres of stages. 243 kilometres for the day.

Spectators: Salvage and Eastport Beach. Stay off the road and give the marshals the room they need.

Leg 4

Tuesday September 15th

Tuesday, 15 September 2026 · Gander to Clarenville

A shorter competitive day around Gander Lake. First car 8:00 a.m. The North Atlantic Aviation Museum Heritage Run uses the old World War II airport perimeter — fast, with turns that sneak up on you — in both directions. Glenwood and Appleton are tight town stages, each run twice. Lunch is at Appleton Town Hall. Service is at The Goose in Gander.

Late afternoon is the Come From Away Memorial through Gander, also run twice, then the Gambo East Transit Challenge back to Clarenville. No car show Tuesday night.

About 30 kilometres of stages. 236 kilometres for the day.

Spectators: the Heritage Run at the old airport and the Glenwood / Appleton loops.

Leg 5

Wednesday September 16th

Wednesday, 16 September 2026 · Clarenville and Random Island

The whole day lives on Random Island. First car 8:30 a.m. from Hickman Motors. Lady Cove, Martin’s Hill, Lower Lance Cove and Aspen Cove take the field out along the shore — fast in places, rough in others, with steep drops at Hickman’s Harbour. Lunch and service are at the Community Centre in Hickman’s Harbour.

The afternoon turns the island around: Hickman’s Harbour and Aspen Cove again, then Petley. Back to Clarenville for the 7:00 p.m. car show.

About 76 kilometres of stages inside a 131-kilometre loop — the densest day of the week.

Spectators: Hickman’s Harbour and Lower Lance Cove. Keep well back from the edges. Those drops are not decorative.

Leg 6

Thursday September 17th

Thursday, 17 September 2026 · Clarenville to St. John’s

Last day. First car 8:00 a.m. from Hickman Motors. The Isthmus Transit Challenge brings the field down onto Conception Bay for a cluster of memorial stages in the old outports: John Curran at Conception Harbour (run twice), Mary O’Flaherty at Marysvale, Turks Gut, Georgetown (twice), then Paddy Phillips at Colliers in and out along the shoreline.

Service at Oasis Lounge in Conception Harbour and the Parish Hall in Marysvale. Lunch at the Recreation Centre in Colliers, then a meet-and-greet there before the run home.

Awards are on George Street in St. John’s at 6:00 p.m.

About 38 kilometres of stages. 274 kilometres to get home.

Spectators: Conception Harbour, Marysvale and Colliers. The week ends on George Street.