Webinar for Race Organisers

This could be of interest to all the race organisers out there. A free webinar with the Race Director of the Boston Marathon (hosted by the Active Network).

Given the amount of races in the calendar these days, it's always a struggle to stand out from the crowd. This webinar seems to focus on how you can be seen as "unique" but also how you can focus on retaining previous entrants.

Here's a Link to Register for the Webinar

Details:

• Date:         Monday 29th February
• Time:        8pm
• Duration:  1 hour

Patrick Pearse 5K

8th May

A new event in the calendar this year, and I'm surprised there hasn't been more '1916 themed' events, is the Patrick Pearse 5K on Sunday 8th May in Rathfarnham, Dublin. The organiser of this race is Eoin Ryan, so although the race is new, there's a lot of race organising experience there. If you don't know who Eoin is, he is the organiser of the Clontarf Half Marathon, the Wicklow Half Marathon, the Wexford Half Marathon and the new Dublin Night Run.

Registration / Charity

This race is being run 100% for charity (i.e. all proceeds!), St Teresa Obera Support Fund.

Entry is €17.85 (€16.50 plus €1.35 booking).

Link to Registration Here

Route

The route is being run in around the area of St Enda's Park in Rathfarnham. Below is the route map and gradient, nothing too major to worry about in terms of climbs:

What you Get

I love this commemorative medal, which is a great one for the 1916 anniversary this year, and a special one to go in the collection. (I'm such a sucker for a medal!!)

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

Mullingar Half Marathon

17th March

What else would you be doing on St Patrick's Day.......well in the morning at least! I'm just wondering will Mullingar have a half decent parade so that I can justify bringing the whole family up to watch it, really a thinly veiled excuse for me to run another race!

This is the second year of the Mullingar Half Marathon, with approx. 600 runners taking part last year. Last year this race raised €16,000 for Childline, which is really impressive!

Route

This is a pretty fast route, the only point to be aware of is the climb up to the fly-over just after mile 8. But there's a really nice few miles running along the canal at the end, anf a very nice finish in the town park.

Registration

You can register online for €35 with a €2.45 booking fee, or you can register on the day for €40 before 9:30 am. (Race starts at 10:30 am).

Link to registration here

What you Get

There will be pacers for 1:30, 1:45, 2:00 and 2:15. Since its St Patricks Day, you can't beat a good shamrock medal, another new one for the collection. This one might just draw in some tourist runners, sure you couldn't get a more Irish medal:

T-Shirts: there are t-shirts for everyone who enters online, I'll post the pictures when I see them going up.

Jog for a Dog 5K

17th April

I'm a big dog lover (except when they are nipping at my heels during a run!) so I love the idea of dogs that help children with Autism. On the 17th April there is a 5K race in Castletown House, Celbridge in aid of one of these charities: My Canine Companion, autism services.

look at this guy, he wants you to run!!

Entry

Entry is €15 online or €20 on the day. There's a juvenile entry price of €10 online or €15 on the day. Finally, walkers are welcome and they pay the same as the juvenile rate. For all entries online there's a €0.50 booking fee. Race website.

Link to Registration

What you get

As usual, I really like a unique medal for the collection. This is a new one, and looks pretty good, just the artwork for now:

Official Race Flyer

Anne Valley 5 Mile follow-up

Something Special

Normally I reserve posts to previews of races, but I was recently sent this great video from Ian Robinson (thanks Ian) of the Anne Valley 5Mile, and had to share it out. The Anne Valley 5 Mile race won best short distance race of the year in our annual awards, and maybe this is one of the reasons why.

As all runners are getting ready to start the 5 Mile, they route the finish of the kids race through them, so essentially all the runners are giving the kids an Olympic style reception at the end of their race! It looks incredible, and the type of thing that will ensure these kids continue running:

Anne Valley Challenge best short race in Ireland!!!! This is what makes it so special!!!
Posted by Ian Robinson on Monday, February 8, 2016

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: