Only a small number of races are organised on the Beara Peninsula and this is one of them.
Location...The village of Eyeries is located a few kms to the north of Castletownbere in West Cork...
Course description.......The race starts just to the north of the village and it's downhill from the off...
One of the most striking things about the village of Eyeries is the myriad of colours with all the houses painted a bright colour. With most modern housing estates conforming to a standard style or colour, this is the complete opposite. It's an expression of individuality and it's what give the village such a unique quality. It may be something we take for granted but it was the very thing that is noted by foreign visitors to the area.
Here are some of the views as you run through the village...
0.3 miles...
0.35 miles...
0.4 miles...
The village is small enough and the road rises as you leave it. Just up ahead is a T-junction where you turn left.
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| You can never have too many signposts :o) |
From the junction, the road climbs gently as you pass the local national school with great views out to the west over the ocean to the Iveragh Peninsula in Kerry...
The road continues to climb as you pass the 1 mile mark with the mountains of the Beara Peninsula on your right...
From here, the road twists and turns as it climbs until you reach the highest point of the course around 1.8 miles with a long downhill on the other side...
At 2.8 miles, you reach the most northerly part of the course where you turn left and head back towards Eyeries...
At about 3.1 miles, you reach the end of the long downhill and you turn left at a road junction. From here, there are some small climbs with some nice views over the coastline at 3.5 miles...
At about 3.7 miles, the road starts to climb again and it's quite sharp in places. Eventually, it flattens out at about the 4 mile mark with just one mile left to go....
View out over the ocean at 4.0 miles...
After another short hill, this is the view at 4.2 miles...
After the last short climb at 4.5 miles, it downhill again and through the start line again at 4.6 miles...
From here, you retrace your steps as you run the last 0.4 miles downhill to the finish line at the far end of the village...
Additional info from the organisers....The Course...The looped course runs anti-clockwise from the village and is a well-known walking and running circuit to locals. The race starts 600m from race HQ (Eyeries Hall) on the road east to Ballycrovane.
From the start line the course drops down into the village. From there it stays flat until your first hill at 0.6 mile. It is a short steady hill (120m) up to the main road at Eyeries Cross. A left-hand turn onto the main road is followed by a long flat straight stretch for the next 0.7 mile. You will pass the first mile marker after Eyeries Park. The route then rises gradually for the next half mile. Your reward is a long winding and falling stretch passed 2-mile marker, through the Boffickil bends for the next mile.
A left hand turn after 2.9miles takes you off the main road and another fall down to Ballycrovane Cross which takes you past the 3-mile marker. The course rises with a series of small hills. The top of the third hill at Joe Roberts Wall is the 4-mile mark. The views over Coulagh Bay and Kilcatherine beyond are worth all the effort. From here one more hill remains. It’s short and steep. This part of the course is the most challenging part and competitors should be sure and keep some ‘fuel in the tank’ for this short (0.8 mile) spurt. A long flat section brings you to the start line and it’s all downhill into the award winning picturesque village of Eyeries.
The finish line is near the Race HQ and the race organisers assure a welcome to all participants and supporters.
Overall.......As you might expect on the mountainous Beara Peninsula, there aren't too many flat roads. Probably not a course for setting personal best times but what a location! Stunning views out over the ocean to the Kerry coastline beyond with the mountains of the Beara alongside. This is one of the few races on this peninsula and perhaps for that reason alone, it deserves to be supported. It might make a perfect excuse for a weekend break in the area.
Some other photos of the area...
