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
