Just to put this leg into perspective, there are 5 stages in the Cork City Marathon Relay event. Each leg is more or less the same length....roughly 4.8 to 5.8 miles in length.
The Relay runners will start at 9 AM on Patrick's Street along with all of the Marathon runners.
Course...Relay Leg 1Mile 1......It starts on Patricks Street, turns into the Grand Parade, then the South Mall, into Parnell Place and then left along the Quay's. Just as you pass Patricks Bridge, you see the 1 mile mark, a very flat and easy first mile.
Mile 2........You stay on the quays until you cross the bridge at the Opera House. From there, up Leitrim Street and past Murphys Brewery. The road should have barricades in the middle here as you'll be returning back down on the other side shortly. If perhaps you're not running so fast, you might even see some of the faster runners returning.
Mile 3......From the sharp turn, past the church again, onto the Watercourse Road and head back towards the City Centre.
For the last few years (2010-2015), there was a slight kink here just to add the required amount to make sure that the full Marathon is the correct distance. See picture.....shown in Blue. As of 2016, it reverts back to the old route shown in Yellow.
Back down to the quays as you see some of the slower runners on the other side head towards the 2 mile mark. Then left onto Patricks Quay and the 3 mile mark...another fast mile.
Mile 4............Then onto Horgans Quay as you follow the River Lee through the City.
Continue along Horgans Quay until the end. Then left and then right onto the Lower Glanmire Road. The 4 mile mark is here...another fast and flat mile.
Mile 5............ For the 5th mile, you run alongside the river, you'll see the Marina and Pairc Ui Chaoimh on the other side. There is a slight climb up to the skew bridge and a slight fall after it and very soon, you see the mass of Relay runners eagerly looking for the approach of their running partners. If you are doing the full Marathon, this will be the first of 4 Relay changeovers stages that you'll run through and you'll see why the Relay event generates so much excitement!
Overall........Roughly 4.9 miles and a pretty flat and easy leg.
Click here for relay leg 2
