Clonee 10K Race Preview

The 4th annual Clonee 10k Road Race & Fun Run, in partnership with Athletics Ireland, takes place on Thursday 28th June 2018 at 8pm. 

The mid-week, midsummer, evening time, race attracted an entry of almost 700 in 2017.  The flat course offers great potential for athletes to target a fast time and also gives first time participants a great friendly introduction to the 10k distance.  The emphasis is on a fun evening in a friendly and safe environment.

The 2017 race proved a great success with many comments from competitors on how well it was run and the quality of the organisation shining through (down to ensuring a scheduled fresh pizza delivery for the participants from the back of the pack).

Features include…

• Medals for all finishers.
• AAI Permit Event – Chipped Timing
• Post Race Refreshments. (Pizza)
• Prizes: for Mens, Ladies, Age Categories and Club Teams.
• Race HQ: Grasshopper Inn, Clonee Village.
• Please contact Dunboyne AC or Keith Eglington (086 814 4012) with any enquiries.
• Participants must be 16 years of age or over.

To Enter...

• Online entry is now open.  €15 (+€1.05 transaction fee) https://register.primoevents.com/ps/event/DUNBOYNEAC2018
• Entry on the night: €18
• Any profits from the event will go to Dunboyne Athletic Club (Track Development Fund).

Run Killarney Half Marathon & 10K

This is the 9th year of The Gleneagle Run Killarney Half Marathon and 10k. It has grown from 500 participants in 2010 to expected numbers of about 3,000 this year. I visited Killarney on the 11th and 12th of May to run both the 10K and Half Marathon Routes. Apart from the spectacular scenery, there's a lot going on that should tempt a runner down to Killarney on the 28th of July:

10K

I ran the 10K on a beautiful Friday evening when I arrived. The race starts at the Gleneagle hotel and out the Muckross Road via Torc and back through the beautiful park on the same final 5k as the half marathon. The first half of this race is under very nice shaded trees. The road is closed, so make sure to take advantage of the racing line, as there are a lot of bends. The second half in the national park is pretty open. I'd recommend holding any fast finish until after Muckross Abbey. Here's my brief video recorded at the end of the route:

Half Marathon

Early Saturday morning I got up to run the Half Marathon route. You will be bused up to the start line in Molls gap, and the route brings you back down to the Gleneagle hotel. It can be overcast up at the gap, so bring a jacket, you can put it in a checked bag, and it will be brought back on the bus to the finish for you. The clouds burn off pretty early in the race, so although it might be cold, prepare for a potentially hot race (sun cream and water!).

This half is pretty down hill at the start. But don't go out too fast, or you will really suffer in the latter parts of the race. Go out easy and conserve energy. Enjoy the breathtaking views around mile 3 and 4 as the course brings you down hill with un-beatable views of the National Park (the only time of the year when this road is closed to cars).

Here's my description of the route, just after finishing it:

Other points of interest:

• It's one of the really enjoyable finish lines. A great 'beer garden' type atmosphere
• Usually a great medal
• Nice finishers tshirt as well
• Great town to visit and go out in afterwards

REGISTRATION LINK

Run Kilkee

New Race - The Run Kilkee Half Marathon and 10K

The team that organise the Dingle Marathon and Half Marathon have decided to put their efforts into a new event, the Run Kilkee Half Marathon and 10K. Similar to Dingle, they've selected another spectacular route for this event, Kilkee, the picturesque coastal town in Clare. These guys have won our "Half Marathon of the Year" Award for the last 3 years in a row, so you can be sure they'll know how to put on a great event in Kilkee as well.

The race will take place along the spectacular Loop Head Peninsula in Co Clare on Saturday 14th July 2018. The course consists of a 13.1 mile Half Marathon and a 10km route set along the stunning sea cliff panoramic views of the Loop Head Peninsula. This is a 'must do' event in one of Ireland's must beautiful locations on the Wild Atlantic Way with the course designed for runners and walkers to enjoy its breathtaking scenery and beautiful rugged coastline.

The event opened for registrations on Thursday this week, and by Friday registrations were already into the hundreds. With spaces limited for safety reasons for the first year, this is one to book sooner rather than later.

There will be a finishers medal and t-shirt, the design for these will be released soon. (But have a look at what they provide for Dingle, and you'll get an idea of what they give!)

For more information and registration, check out their website: www.runkilkee.ie

Routes:

Jack White's 5K/10K Run

A new event coming on 7th April in Wicklow is the Jack White's 5K / 10K Run. This event is organised by the same race director that has brought numerous similar events, such as the Brittas Bay Run and the Wicklow Santa Dash.

All these events are run in aid of Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin (and when I say in aid of....all the money goes there, not a percentage!).

If you don't know the area, Jack White's Inn is an iconic landmark. And once again the organisers have done a great job with their medal design to reflect this, so I'd be confident that there will be a lot of runners out there that will want this souvenir.

Entry / Registration

There is early bird registration for this (€13 for 5K, €16 for 10K) until the end of February. However, you can get FREE entry if you take a sponsorship card for the Children's hospital.

Free entry deal:  Take a sponsor card and raise €50 for a free single entry. Or raise €80 for a free family entry (2+2).  All card holders get 1 free Crumlin T-shirt along with the medal (all entrants get the medal, not just the cardholder).

To get the sponsorship card, email the race director on: waynedriscoll02@gmail.com

Family Day Out

Beyond the race, this should be a good day out for all the family. Entertainment mega slide bouncy castle, spider man castle, face painting, puppet show, sack race for kids, egg and spoon race for kids, kids dash 500 metres and a DJ pumping out the tunes.

REGISTER HERE

JJ Reddy Danesfort Run

In this post I will be profiling the JJ Reddy Danesfort Run in Kilkenny. A remarkable event for such a small community, the run gets lots of votes from readers in our Annual Race of the Year Awards.

History

When you learn a bit about the history of how this race came to pass, you start to understand why it is so popular. The emphasis on quality and community that is part of the culture of this event stems from the man whom the race is named after, JJ Reddy.

From what I'm told, JJ was a bit of a legend in the community. He was a lifelong member and treasurer of Danesfort GAA club and worked tirelessly to help build a sports facility for generations to come. His untimely death in September 2011 left a huge void in the lives of the Reddy Family and the community of Danesfort. The first Danesfort 10k run took place in September 2011 just a week after his sudden passing.

All moneys raised from the event goes towards the development of a modern sports facility at Danesfort GAA, a cause so close to JJ's heart. So you can see how this race continues the legacy of JJ, and therefore the local community invest hugely in it. For that reason it has developed a real professional approach and has become highly regarded by runners.

About the Race

Expect 400+ runners for the 10K and 300+ runners for the Half Marathon. With a 5K on also (likely 300+, but could be more), then this event will get a decent turn out of over 1,000 runners. (They had 1,000 last year, and registrations are ahead compared to the same time last year).

More impressive about the race though, is that it also attracts some of the faster runners in the country, a good indication of quality and potential pace in the race. Have a look at the course records:

10K Male: 30:29 Seán Hehir

10K Female: 33:09 Fionnuala McCormack (Britton)

Half Male: 1:13:14 Brian Murphy

Half Female: 1:29:01 Donna Dunne

All finishers (half, 10K, 5K) get one of the really nice medals pictured above (I'm a sucker for a nice medal!). The Half Marathon runners also get the tech t-shirt above, with the 10K/5K guys having the option to buy this if they want.

There will also be chipped timing and pacers.

Course Profile

Half Marathon:

The half marathon course is essentially a large loop that comes back on itself at around 7.5 miles, then you follow a smaller loop. That means that your cover the section of the course from 0.8 miles to 3.7 miles a second time. So the short sharp climb you meet at mile 2, you get to see again at mile 9 (hurray!). Well, at least you'll know what's coming. But other than that, this looks like a pretty ok course, a couple of drags, but nothing to worry you really.

10K:

The 10K course goes along the smaller loop of the half above. So there's an early climb at just after 3K. Other than that it looks pretty fast.

5K:

The 5K is a straight out and back course, no turns, and no major climbs to worry about.

Added Support

If you register for the race, you will be invited to join a private running group called "JJ Reddy Run with the experts" where participants are offered free advice on Race preparation, nutrition and physical fitness and a forum to ask advice for from our three experts: Adele Walsh (Eat, Live, Train), John Kearns (JK Physical Therapy) and Jackie Varley  (Optimal Health).

Register

Follow the link below to register online. Prices are now €35 for the half, €20 for the 10K, and €15 for the 5K (if you want it chipped). There'll be NO entries on the day (only for the 5K, non-chipped fun runners).

REGISTER

Balbriggan Half Marathon & 10K

17th March

Another running event that takes place on St. Patricks Day is the Balbriggan Half Marathon and 10K. This event has been running since 2011. This race is run to support the Balbriggan Cancer Support Group.

Route

This is a challenging route, it's by no means flat, so view it as a pretty good work out. The 10K is a loop, with the half marathon being this loop twice, roughly. Expect around 5/6 climbs per loop, with the equivalent downhills to make up the time.

Here's a video of the loop

Registration

Entry for the half is €37.45 (incl. booking). Entry for the 10K is €26.75 (incl. booking).

Link to Registration

What you get

Here's the medal that you get for this race:

Meath Half Marathon & 10K

13th March

Organised by Bohermeen AC in Meath, this Half Marathon has been on the go for a few years now. The 10K will likely have smaller numbers than the half, which is often not the case, but this half marathon has a reputation, and is a pretty fast course. Expect somewhere around 1,000 runners for the half and around 400 for the 10K.

Route

The half marathon is 2 laps of the course (the 10K being 1 lap). As mentioned before, there is no significant climbs to face, so it is a good option for a fast time. However, one thing to be aware of is that the local roads are unlikely to be closed. There are a couple of points on the course where cars will be prevalent, so don't wear headphones or if you really have to, take them out around busy spots.

Registration

Entry for the Half Marathon is €26.73 (incl booking) before 1st March. After 1st March, this will go up to €32.

Entry for the 10K is €21.38 (incl booking) before 1st March. After 1st March, this will go up to €26.50.

Link to Registration

Further Details:

Race Medal

Eamon Moloney 10K

26th March

Another finalist of our annual race awards, the Eamon Moloney 10K was short listed as one of the best 10K races in Ireland last year. Based in Ennis, this will be the third year of the race, and there will be a 3K distance on the day.

Route

Starting near the courthouse in Ennis town, the route takes you out onto quite country roads for the vast majority of the race. It is a very flat route with a long very gradual downhill in the last 3k. This course if pretty fast, so if a PB around this time of year on a 10K is your goal, then it's a good place to come.

Registration

Online entry for the 10K is €21.40 (incl. booking fee) however you can enter on the day for €25. Online entry for the 3K is €10.70 (incl. booking fee), and I presume you can enter this on the day as well, likely for €15.

Link to Registration

What you Get

The first 400 runners to register got a t-shirt. They hit this mark in November, so the t-shirts are gone, but at least you can be sure of a good crowd. There are pacers for 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 minutes and there's suppose to be a decent spread afterwards. Main draw for me, as often the case, is the nice medal, here it is:

Official Race Flyer

Rock and Road Half Marathon & 10K

Kinvara - 5th March

Returning for it's 6th year this year is the popular Kinvara, Rock and Road Half Marathon and 10K. Located beside the sea, near Galway, the race takes it's name from the scenic, stone walled routes.

This event will typically sell out a couple of weeks in advance, so you should enter by mid February.

You'll be joined by around 900 others in the Half and similar, if not more, in the 10K.

Route

Half Marathon

This is a pretty tough route, but with a nice finish. You have a slow steady incline for around the first 5 miles, then a bit of respite down to mile 6, before a serious climb peaking around mile 7.5. Relatively straight forward after that. However, one element you should factor in is the wind coming in from the Atlantic, makes it that bit more.......challenging!

10K

Relatively speaking the 10K is not as tough (I don't just mean it's half the distance obviously!). It's a fast start downhill, first challenge at 2K shouldn't be too bad as your legs will be fresh, and it should check the pace of those who went out too fast. The real challenge will come between 6K and 7K, but there is a pretty fast finish. Again, be wary of the Atlantic winds, shelter in groups where possible....but don't huddle!

Registration

The cost is €42.28 for the Half (including booking fee). The cost for the 10K is €26.42 (including booking fee).

Click Here for their Registration Page

What you Get

The race is pretty much run on all closed roads. There will be pacers for 40 / 50 / 60 minutes for the 10K and 1:30 / 1:40 / 1:50 / 2:00 for the Half.

I'm usually a major fan of medals over t-shirts, this race gives you both. Both are actually pretty nice, but for once, I think my preference is the t-shirt (long sleeve).

Run Mount Juliet

13th February

The Run Mount Juliet is back for its fourth year in Kilkenny on 13th February. This event offers a Half Marathon, 10K and a 2K Fun Run.

Last year there was approximately 200 Half Marathon finishers and 400 10K finishers.

Route

This is a pretty tough course, but also very scenic. Set in and around the grounds of the beautiful Mount Juliet, the Half Marathon course is two laps of the 10K course. The 10K course is pretty hilly, so double that for the half and you have yourself a real test!

A lot of people look for "a flat and fast" course, however you need the tough ones to improve, and this is one of those.

Entry

It seems that the organisers have taken feedback on the registration prices over recent years and brought the prices down. Entry for the Half Marathon is now €35; the 10K is €25; and the Fun Run is €10. You receive a technical t-shirt with your entry (although I'd imagine not for the Fun Run).

REGISTRATION CLOSES THURSDAY 4TH

REGISTER HERE!

32 Counties Challenge

For anyone who has signed up for (or thinking of signing up for) the 32 county challenge, Run Mount Juliet is a 10 point event on their scoreboard:

RNLI Reindeer Runs

At this time of the year there are numerous Santa Dash's, Turkey Trots and Reindeer Runs. And I for one, love them all, because usually they are great fun, they encourage new runners, and help spread the Christmas Cheer.....hurray! (As well as help with a little excercise during this season of indulgence).

I decided that I'd like to highlight the RNLI Reindeer runs. This is because they do amazing, brave work as well as being nicely organised races. Added to that, is the fact that there are a few of them:

• 22nd November - Liss Ard (apparently it was good, I missed it)
• 29th November - Fota House, Cork (great location for a run)
• 6th December - Marley Park, Dublin 

Also for our UK friends, there's one this Saturday in Dorset.

Registration

There is a 10K and 5K distance at all these events, as well as a "1k saunter", You get a t-shirt and 'reindeer antlers' for the 10k and 5k races. Here's the prices:

• Adult 10K - €22
• Adult 5K - €20
• 1K Saunter - Free
• Child Ticket - €10
• Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children) - €55

Follow this link for Registration

Small bit about RNLI

I had the pleasure of going on-board the LifeBoat down in Castletownbere this summer. This was really interesting and enjoyable. They are some people (both the volunteers and the full time staff) and it was some machine. This picture from the RNLI lifeboat in Cliften, posted yesterday, says a lot about what they do:

Clonakilty Marathon Preview

Run Clon takes place on 5th December in Clonakilty and incorporates full marathon, half marathon and 10K races. This is the 6th running of the event, that started with just the marathon, but has expanded since. In 2010 the marathon had approx. 200 finishers, last year the marathon had over 400, the half marathon had over 700 and the 10k had nearly 800 finishers. With nearly 2,000 runners hitting Clonakilty, this will be one of the last big running events of 2015.

Route

There are three new routes this year for all the events. In the past, I was put off the event by the fact that the routes were loops of the same course (just something that I personally don't like). They have changed that now, so it will be interesting to see what the new routes will be like.

You are guaranteed spectacular views, as the routes cover some amazing views out over the Atlantic. However, you also need to expect to be tested over some hills and there'll likely be a strong wind from the coast in places (so hide behind some tall people!).

Registration

• Marathon - €60
• Half Marathon - €50
• 10K - €30

The Marathon seems to be good value for money at €60. The Half and 10K may be on the high side, however, unlike a lot of 10k races (and some half's) you get a pretty nice finisher medal and technical top. Registration here.

Race Info

Race start is at the Quality Hotel in Clonakilty and is planned for 9am.

When you arrive in Clonakilty town, take the Bypass Road towards the Quality Hotel, on the N71, parking will be at the showgrounds (beside the hotel).

Race packs and finishing t-shirts can be collected upstairs at the Carbery suite in the Quality Hotel on Thurs 3rd 6-9pm; Fri 4th 10am - 9pm; Race Day 6am - 7:30am.

Weather is usually around 8 - 10 degrees, so bring warm gear!

Other

The atmosphere at this race is always enjoyable, everyone in good spirits. There's also some nice perks that are worth mentioning:

1. You get Clonakilty Pudding - if you don't know what this is, you should enter just to find out!
2. Showers available in the Quality hotel
3. Post Race massage
4. Photo Wall - available after the race for you to get a proper high quality pic that you can then download for free afterwards

Aware Christmas Run

The Annual Aware Christmas Run is a 10K and 5K race around Phoenix Park on Saturday 12th December.

This race has been around a few years, (since 2007 I think, but it's years since I ran it). It attracts reasonably good numbers:

• Finishers 2014 - 10k: 1,150. 5k: 600
• Finishers 2013 - 10k: 1,400, 5k: 500

Registration

This is a pretty expensive race, particularly the 5k, as both distances are €25 to enter. However it is for a worthwhile charity cause, so there's no suprise that it still attracts decent numbers. The organisers encourage people to fund raise or donate (although it's not obligatory) and an incredible €80,000 was raised by the event last year.

You can register on the Fit Magazine website here.

Route

This is a pretty tough, hilly 10k course. There's an early climb around 2k, but the hardest is probably at 9k, when the legs are a bit more tired. However, it is a very scenic route around the Phoenix park, particularly enjoyable for anybody not worried about a time.

A good work-out either way, and for a good cause.

www.aware.ie/

Fields of Athenry 10k

On Saturday 26th December (Stephen's Day), Athenry AC will host the 14th running of the "Fields of Athenry 10k race.

This is one of the most popular 10k races in the country with 1,152 finishers last year.

Course

The course is a loop starting and finishing in Athenry town, mainly run on quite country roads, with the scenic stone walls and fields that give the race (and the song) it's name prevalent along the course.

It's a slow drag at the start, with a testing section around the 4k mark. However, it has a great downhill finish of around 500 metres. This brings you (at speed) under the Medieval Arch in town, a really nice way to finish the race.

Entry

Registration is online only, and will sell out in advance of the race, as has been the case for the past number of years. Last year the race sold out at least 5 days before hand, so you want to enter by early December.

Cost is €20, link to entry here

Hats

Athenry has a unique and slightly quirky tradition of giving each runner a finishers hat. The reason this is unique (I think) is because each year the hat design changes (and is kept secret until the week of the race). See what I mean by having a look at their history of finishers hats here. Anybody have the full collection?

Start of Fields of Athenry

The 12K's of Christmas

Having spent too many mornings recovering from a "12 pubs of Christmas" I may make this event part of my new annual routines - "The 12K's of Christmas". 

Organised by The Kildare Town Running & Triathlon Club, this event has a 12k and a 6k race on 12th of December at 12:00. The entry fee is €12 for the 12k or €10 for the 6k. 

So just in case you missed that....show up on the 12/12 at 12, pay 12 and run 12! 

The race starts and finishes at Kildare Town FC and runs around the Curragh Plains. Here's the funky medal / beer opener, which may come in handy over the festive period:

Here's the race flyer:

Preview of the Listowel Half Marathon & 10K

Next Saturday, 14th November, the Kerry Crusaders will host their inaugural half marathon and 10k in Listowel, Co. Kerry. The Crusaders are a sister club to the Clare Crusaders, and their objective is to raise money for disadvantaged children. So the funds of this event will go to kids with special needs.

Registration

Online registration is available on the Run the Kingdom website: click here

Paper registration is available from the Listowel Community Centre.

Cost is €40 for the half marathon and €25 for the 10k.

The race will sell out, so it's unlikely that registrations will be taken on the day.

Course

The half course is flat for the first 5 miles, before you start a small but steady climb. This becomes much steeper after 6 miles, however once you get past 7 miles, it's pretty straightforward (with a nice downhill). Here's the Garmin link to the route.

The 10k is similar, climb in the middle, decsending to the finish, link here.

Entrants

All runners will receive a finisher t-shirt and medal. Here's a picture of the nice medals:

Race Times

The Half Marathon starts at 10. The 10k starts at 10:15.
Number collections will be available Friday and Saturday morning.

Finally, here's the link to the crusaders site and the race flyer:

MoRun

Mo-Running 5K & 10K - 14th November - Dublin

https://www.mo-running.com/

MoRunners Receive

• Race chip Timing and instant race results
• Top class MoMedal bigger and better than 2014
• Yellow Winners Jersey for 1st finishers including Champion medal and free entry to 2016
• Legend and Superhero medals for best fancy dress and legends of MoRunning
• Discount for groups of 4 or more of 5% ( code for booking MR15-TeamEntry ) Find out more about how to register a team
• Team Entry and Results
• MoRunning Headband
• Snacks and drinks at the event
• Photos to download
• Additional goodies from event partners

Raven Run 10k

Raven Run 10K - 15th November - Wexford

http://www.runwexford.com