Location.......Dingle is located in Co.Kerry in the South-West of Ireland
Course map......Both the half and full Marathon start in the town of Dingle. Half-Marathon runners finish in Dunquin and return to Dingle by bus. The full Marathon runners continue on and run back to Dingle.
Course profile.....There are a number of hills to be tackled in the first half. The most difficult part of the full Marathon is the steep climb around the 22 mile mark.
Course description.........Both the half and full Marathon start in the town of Dingle...
Initially, the going is flat and you cross a causeway as you leave the town...
The race travels west passing through the village of Ventry before going up a more serious hill as you head out towards Slea Head. Around the 9 mile mark, you cross a small stream which flows across the road......
....and then on towards Slea Head. This is the view looking back towards the Iveragh Peninsula to the south...
What really makes this Half and Full Marathon special is the fact the roads are closed. Normally, there is a lot of tourist traffic on this narrow road and it wouldn't be really suitable for running or walking. The road here is high above the sea and you have an incredible view out over Dingle Bay to the mountains of Kerry with the Skelligs in the distance.
Once you pass the grotto around the 10 mile mark, the Blasket Islands come into view...
....and then the twisting coastal road...
At 13 miles in Dunquin, the Half-Marathon runners turn off to the left...
...and on to the finish line. A fleet of buses take the runners back to Dingle.
The full Marathon runners continue on towards Ballyferriter with Brandon Mountain now coming into view. From here, the route is on quiet narrow roads as it heads towards Dingle...
At mile 21, there is an out and back section...
After this, there is just the big hill to tackle at mile 22 before descending down to the finish line back in Dingle.
Overall.........An incredible location for a Marathon and probably the most scenic in Ireland. Not the easiest of courses with several testing hills, especially during the Marathon near mile 22.
This YouTube clip from TG4 in Irish gives a good feel for what it is like...
