Location...Clerihan is located about 4 miles to the NW of Clonmel in South Tipperary. It is on the R688 road between Cashel and Clonmel...
Most of the village is on the western side of the main R688 road. There are two roads leading away from the bend in the main road. The Community Hall and start line are on the Cahir Road. The finish line is near the local school.
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| Two roads leading off from the bend on the R688 in Clerihan...Left - road to school and finish line / Right - road past the church to the community hall and the start line |
The route has a number of minor climbs with the highest point being near the 3 mile mark...
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| Community Hall next to the church grounds |
Course description...The start line for the race is just beyond the local community hall. After a brief flat section, the road begins to climb as you leave the village and continues albeit modestly until roughly 0.7 miles when it levels off....
At 0.9 miles, you turn left at the Lavally / New Chapel cross roads...
From here, the road begins to drop away gently allowing for some fast running. Eventually it flattens and even rises a bit before dropping again until you turn left at 2.2 miles...
Now the road begins to climb and is split into two sections...an initial climb...then it eases off...and then it resumes again. The highest point of the course is at Newchapel Cross Roads where you join a larger road and turn left...approx 3.3 miles...
From here, it's largely downhill for the next mile and a half....a very fast finish. The only hill is the last 200 metres before the finish line....
Overall........A reasonable 5 mile course. Two hilly sections..one early in the first mile and the second one around mile 3. Plenty of fast downhill running as well. Times should be reasonably fast.
Additional info...An item of historical interest.
At around the 2.7 miles / 4.5 km mark on the course, you pass this old ruined building at the entrance to a farmyard...
The plaque on the wall of the building marks the birthplace of William Prendergast, the secretary of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) from 1888 to 1889.
From the GAA website....."A native of Clonmel, Co. Tipperary a good hurler who accompanied the team of hurlers and athletes on the American Invasion team of 1888 as both official and player. In 1892 he emigrated to the U.S., joining the New York police force and playing a prominent part in the 1900s in the formation of the New York branch of the GAA and in the acquisition and development of Celtic Park, New York."
