Nathan Kirwan 5k fun/walk route....
Location : The village of Shanbally is on the N28 road from Cork City to Ringaskiddy.
Directions : Just follow all the signs for Ringaskiddy and the ferry terminal. Race HQ is at the Shamrocks GAA ground which is just west of the village.
As you approach Shanbally, you first see a small housing estate on your left. Look for the entrance to the GAA grounds just after a bungalow on the right...
Course Map...
Course Profile...
Course Description.....The 5k course starts and finishes near the entrance to the GAA grounds.
You run towards the centre of Shanbally and at the roundabout outside the church at about 200m, you turn right and up a slight hill...
After the short climb, you take a sharp left and then at the grotto at 800m, you keep going straight. Anyone who has run the Cork BHAA Novartis 5k race before will know the junction as you usually turn right here.
You are now on a narrow and quiet road with some small climbs but they are all pretty minor. The road is mostly covered by trees but opens up on the far end...
At 2.2 kms, you reach a t-junction where you turn left...
Anyone who has done the Cork BHAA Novartis 5k or Pfizers 6m race will know most of the course from now on. After a short flat section, you have a short downhill section to the next T-junction near Ringaskiddy where you turn left...
From here, you have a gradual climb up past the Pfizers plant. The only difference here with the BHAA races is that you need to keep running past where tose races usually finish and back to the roundabout where you were earlier...
From here, it's about 300m or so to the finish line near the Shamrocks GAA ground.
Overall......Very similar to the Cork BHAA Novartis course except one hill is taken out. Not flat but the climbs are gradual.
