Cork060

Preview of the Ballygiblin 5 km road race...

Location...The townland of Ballygiblin is located about 3 miles or 5 kms to the east of Mitchelstown in NE Cork.

Getting there is quiet easy as it's only about 2 miles from the M8 motorway.

Directions...Take Exit 12 on the motorway and follow the signposts for Kilbeheny. From the small roundabout near Exit 12, you drive for 960m and you turn off right as you descend downhill. Do not go into Kilbeheny itself. From here, you drive 2.26 kms / 1.4 miles south to the crossroads near the race HQ.

An alternative route is to take the Clonmel road (R665) from the town of Mitchelstown itself. See junction below where you take a right at the crossroads. This is signposted for Ballyporeen and Clogheen. The crossroads near the race HQ is 3.2 miles / 5.1 kms out this road.

In more detail...The map below shows where everything is located.

1) Race HQ is the old school house which is located just next to the new school. It is 120m from the crossroads.
2) There is also plenty of parking available at Horgan's Delicatessen Supplies which is 380m from the crossroads.
3) There are changing rooms\showers\toilets at the GAA grounds which are 240m from the crossroads.
4) The start line is 660m from the crossroads.
5) The finish line is located near the entrance to the local GAA grounds.

Course Map...It is essentially an out and back 5km course on very flat roads.

Course description...The race starts about 660m from the main crossroads. As you can see from the photo below, it is straight and flat...

Past the GAA grounds where the race will finish coming from the opposite direction.

Through the crossroads for the first time. Note that as the field thins out, you should try to stay on the left hand side of the road going out and coming back.

This is just after the crossroads and is typical of what the rest of the course looks like...a long straight section and dead flat.

One of the few bends on the road on the way out...

At about 2.7 kms / 1.7 miles, you reach the turn around point at Ballygiblin Church...

They will be using the small car park just outside the church so that the runners run in a wide circle before returning rather than stopping and starting as you go around a fixed point.

You then run back to the crossroads staying on the left hand side of the road. All along the return section, there is a fine view of the Galtee Mountains in the distance.

The finish line is near the GAA grounds about 240 metres beyond the crossroads.

Overall....A very flat and fast 5k course in NE Cork. With it's proximity to the M8 motorway, it should attract runners from a wide catchment area. If you are looking for a fast accurate 5k course that has been measured properly with a Jone Counter then this is one to consider.

Cork033

Preview of the GR8KM road race in Mitchelstown, NE Cork...

This new course was introduced in 2017

Location...Mitchelstown is located just off the M8 Cork to Dublin motorway and is easily accessible...

Directions........If you are coming from the direction of Cork City, leave the motorway at exit 13 and head into the town on the old Dublin road.

 As you enter the town proper, you come to this crossroads with traffic lights where you turn right...

 Just 100m later, you turn left....look for the signs for the Tesco shopping centre...

 Race HQ is at the new Mitchelstown Leisure Centre which is located beyond Tesco down this road.

Course......This is the new course from 2017 onwards. The race starts and finishes near the Leisure Centre.

Profile......

Course Description...The race starts on a small quiet country road just a few hundred metres from the Mitchelstown Leisure Centre.

As can be seen from the photo below which is around the 200m mark, it''s a very fast start with a gradual downhill.

As you get closer to the 1km mark, you turn off left onto another quiet road...

This section is still pretty fast and at around the 2km mark, you exit onto a larger road and start a really fast downhill run...

At about 2.5kms, the road levels off and then you cross over the M8 motorway at 2.6kms...

Almost straight away, you turn off left onto a quieter road...

You now start a gradual uphill section and this end at about 4.4kms with a crossroads in the shape of an X. You take the first left...

From here, you start another long stretch of fast running with long straight sections that go gradually downhill...

At about 6kms, the road levels off and at about 6.kms, you cross over the M8 motorway as well.

At the other side, you pass the 7km mark and then run the last km to finish in the outskirts of the town...

Overall......The new course introduced in 2017 returns to its original route with plenty of fast running on nice country roads but avoids the busier roads through the town. As courses go, it pretty fast and of course, it's easy to get to due to its proximity to the M8 motorway.