The weather for the weekend is a bit of a mixed bag. On Saturday, it's going to be cold with a strong north-westerly wind during the morning. It is however likely to be sunny.
The map shows the situation on Saturday. There is a high pressure system out in the Atlantic rotating clockwise and there is a low pressure system over the North Sea going anti-clockwise.
The net result is like someone left the fridge door open and cold Arctic air flows down over Ireland and the UK.
On the plus side, that strong wind should prevent any frosts or ice on the roads and it should be a bright sunny morning. The only thing is that it's going to feel really cold.
A map of the half-marathon and 10k courses are shown below. Essentially, you will have the wind behind you for the first half and into your face for the second half for each race.
Over the years, the Clonakilty marathon has had more than its fair share of bad weather. This time around, it looks like it's going to be one of the better ones. There are some lovely scenic spots out along the marathon and half-marathon routes with expensive views over the Cork coastline.
Hills... For the 10k, there is a modest hill marked in Orange which starts around the 4.5 mile mark. It lasts about 0.7 miles. This hill is also near the end of the half-marathon course around the 11 mile mark.
For the half-marathon, there is a major hill at 4.7 miles which is about 2 miles in length. It's more of a long slog than being steep.
Gear???... I suspect it might be a day for the long sleeve with maybe a singlet over it. Only the fastest runners will opt for a singlet on its own.
5k parkruns... It should be a really good day for doing a parkrun, just wrap up!
