Located in N.Waterford, this race should be of interest to runners from a wide catchment area...
...especially those in Waterford City which is only 14 miles / 22 kms away. Note that Portlaw is located just west of the R680 road which runs from Waterford City to Carrick-on-Suir...
Directions.......If you are coming from the North / Carrick-on-Suir side then look out for the turn right. You then keep following this road into the town....keep going straight...and you'll end up at the roundabout near the registration point.
If it's from the South / Waterford City side then take the left...
...and then you'll come to a T-junction where you turn right.....cross the bridge......and then take the first left.....
This will take you to the roundabout which is located at the western side of the town.
If you are coming from West Waterford then take the N25 east as far as Carroll's Cross Road, Ballyshonock........turn left at the old red/orange thatched cottage, which is signposted "L4022 Portlaw". The large QK Cold Storage plant is on the opposite side of the road. This road takes a shorter route to Portlaw.
There are a few places that you need to take note of...
1) Entries are usually be taken at the Heritage / Resource Centre which is located next to the roundabout.
2) The finish line is right outside the Community Centre, about 150 metres from the registration point.
3) Post race refreshments and prize giving are usually at the Forge Inn which is only about 600 metres away from the roundabout.
4) The start line is about 700 metres from the registration point
Course....As you can see from the map above, the race starts on the northern side of the town, takes in a clockwise loop and finishes back in the town itself. It is mostly flat and fast for the first three miles with the only real hill between miles 3 and 4. The course profile can be seen below...
Full course preview with photos....The race starts near a road junction on the Carrick Road on the northern edge of the town. It is initially flat but soon drops gradually as you proceed along a long straight...
After a bend, the road straightens again until you reach the junction at about 0.8 miles with the R680 Waterford to Carrick-on-Suir road...
After turning right, you soon hit the one mile mark......a very fast opening mile. The R680 along this stretch is dead straight and practically flat except for a tiny bridge at about the two mile mark...
At 3.1 miles, you turn right off the R680 and head back towards Portlaw as the road begins to climb gently....
At about 3.4 miles, the gradient begins to increase.........gradually at first and then a modest hill which lasts for about 800 metres...
As you reach the high point of the road, it soon drops downhill at about 4.1 miles...
The next 800 metres are very fast and levels off as you approach the next junction at about 4.6 miles...
Right at the junction...
....and then slightly downhill before you gradually climb again. As you enter the town at 4.8 miles, you take the first left...
You then run the remaining 300 metres and finish outside the local Community Hall....
Some of the key locations for the race are shown below...
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| Entries taken at the Heritage Centre at the western side of the roundabout |
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| Post race refreshments at the Forge Inn. The start line is just beyond |
