Most of the race route is in the countryside with the start and finish points at the north-west edge of the town of Thurles.
Directions.........Thurles is just a few miles off the M8 motorway (Exits 5 & 6). If you are coming from the motorway then follow the signposts first for Roscrea and then follow the signs for Nenagh as soon as they appear. This will take you into the centre of Thurles and then out past Semple Stadium.
See the course map below.......After passing Semple Stadium, you come to a roundabout where LIT Thurles is located. Follow the signs for Nenagh.
The entrance for Thurles Crokes AC is 250m from the roundabout on the left. Parking available inside.
Course Map......
Course description.........The start point for the race is roughly 500m or so from the Thurles Crokes club house. As shown in the photo below, the start line is at the foot of the Jimmy Doyle Bridge and it proceeds left up a narrow road.....
As you leave the town behind, the road begins to climb...
At about 400m, there is a testing uphill section but it's only about 200m or so long and it soon levels off...
The road however soon begins to climb gradually again and you reach the highest point of the course around the one mile mark with a great view north over the Tipperary countryside...
This is followed by a long downhill section with another short pull on the other side.
Then at 1.8 miles, it's downhill past Leugh Community Centre...
...followed by Leugh National School and left at the junction...
......and past the 2 mile mark...
The road from here has plenty of flat and downhill running until you have another pull as you approach the 3 mile mark. From here, it's down to a junction by a graveyard (3.3 miles) and out to the T-junction with the Thurles - Nenagh road (3.4 miles)...where you turn left for home...
From here, you run inside the hard shoulder to the finish line outside the Thurles Crokes grounds...
Overall.....An undulating 4 mile course to the north-west of Thurles town in mid-Tipperary. Easy to access from the motorway. Mostly on quiet country roads.
Additional info.....Due to the small size of the Thurles Crokes AC club house, the prize giving and refreshments are at the Thurles Sarsfield centre which is on the south side of Semple Stadium. This is approx 800m from the finish line and the Thurles Crokes ground. See course map.
