Limerick007

Preview of the Kilmallock 5 mile road race...

Location...The town of Kilmallock is in the SE of Co.Limerick and is just 5-6 miles east of the main N20 Cork-Limerick road....

This map below shows the various approach roads...

Registration is at the Deebert House Hotel on the east side of the town. This is just off the R515 road to Tipperary town.

Look for the red signposts for the hotel...

Course map...

Course profile...Gentle slopes and mostly flat...

Course description......The race starts about 200m east of the road junction near the Deebert House Hotel on the R515 road to Tipperary town...

At the road junction, you turn left and south. As you can see from the photo below, on the return leg you will be heading towards the finish line by the hotel.

After a short flat section, you turn right at the next T-junction and head into the town...

Past the courthouse, staying right at the junction and heading up the main street of the town...

At the next junction with Emmet Street, you continue straight ahead. This is where the race returns to the town later.

After about 1km, you come to King's Gate which was once part of the walls of the town of Kilmallock. Access to the north-western part of the town was via the narrow gate as shown below but of course today, the road just skirts around the tower to the right.

At about 0.8 miles, you come to the very prominent church where you turn left....

The road here at first is very slightly uphill as you pass through a residential area but soon, it changes to a narrow country road as you begin to leave the town...

This next mile or so is mostly flat as you head away from the town. At about the 2.5 mile mark, you turn left at a junction and begin heading back towards Kilmallock...

Initially there is a slight climb but it is mostly flat along this narrow country road...

At about the 4 mile mark, you join the Charleville Road...

From here, you head back in towards the town. At about 4.4 miles, the main road takes a turn to the right whereas you will turn off left in towards the centre of the Kilmallock...

You then run through Blossom Gate...another part of the old walls of Kilmallock.

...and how it looked at the start of the 20th Century...

Just on the other side, you complete the loop when you return to the junction where you passed earlier and you turn right for home...

For the last 800m, you run back towards the start line except that at the last T-junction you turn left...

...and the finish line is near the Deebert House Hotel...

Overall.......Starts and finishes in the town of Kilmallock with plenty of the course on quiet country roads. Any hills are very modest and it should prove to be a fast 5 mile course.

Cork037

Preview of the Charleville Half-Marathon...

Location...Charleville is located on the N20 road between Cork and Limerick.

Directions.....The venue for the race is at St.Josephs Foundation on Bakers Road. This road runs parallel to the main road through the town. If you are coming from the direction of Cork City then take a right as you enter the town...

...past the graveyard.....and then left on to Bakers Road.

If you are coming from the direction of Limerick City then after you pass the Topaz station on the left as you enter the town, take a left before you get to the main church. The turn will be signposted for Killmallock....

...then left at the next T-junction and then right on to Bakers Road.

This is an overview of the town.....

It clearly shows Bakers Road parallel to the main road and the approach roads. Follow the stewards directions on the day for parking. The changing facilities and showers are in the local GAA hall (pictured in map) which is right alongside St.Josephs...

Parking.......Parking will not be available on the St. Josephs site unless absolutely necessary. There is adequate parking in the schools and Dunnes Stores car park which are both adjacent to the site at St. Josephs. People will be directed by Marshalls to the parking areas. There will be no on-road parking allowed by the Gardai.


Course Details......One of the main features of the course is that there are plenty of long straight and flat sections of road. It goes from the town of Charleville in N.Cork to the town of Kilmallock in SE Limerick and back again.

Start......The race starts about 200m to the south of St.Josephs.

There are now roughly 800 metres of straight running before the next turn right so that field has time to thin out a bit. After the right, you head east and as per the race instructions, you should stay on the left hand side of the road...


Here you pass the cheese factories and pretty soon, you start to leave the town as you head towards Kilmallock. At this stage, there are some small climbs but these will be all downhill sections in the later stages of the race.

From here, there are a few minor bends in the road. Just after 2 miles, you come to the steepest hill along the course and strangely enough, it's man-made. Up ahead is an old bridge under which ran the old direct railway line which went from Cork City to Limerick City...

As a hill, it's pretty short and you have the benefit of a downhill on the other side. After this, the road begins to run parallel to the main Cork to Dublin railway line. Considering that these rail lines were laid for steam trains in the mid 19th century, the road here reflects this.....dead straight and very flat.

The first major junction is at approx 3.2 miles.....

Note that this is the start of the looped secion taking in the town of Kilmallock. Once the loop is completed, you will be retracing your steps back to Charleville and the finish line.

At approx 5.2 miles, the roads turns away from the railway line and heads towards the town of Kilmallock. This was one of the principal walled towns of the province of Munster in medieval times and almost seventy percent of walls are still standing today. There is plenty of evidence of this along the race course...

.......though the arch.......left and the next junction and through the town....

.....and then left at the main church in the town...

...some bit of slight uphill running here and very soon, you are onto a very quiet country road...

There are a few bends but the road is mostly flat and straight. Near Mile 9...

.....and just before the 10 mile mark, you approach end of the looped section......

You now run back towards Charleville and the finish line in St.Josephs.

Overall.........A fast accurate Half-Marathon course which will suit anyone trying for a personal best time. Within easy access of anyone in Cork or Limerick.

Video showing the race route...