Preview of the Cork BHAA 'Cork to Cobh' 15 mile Road Race - Sunday 30th Sept (9:30am) (Updated Wed 26th 9am)

As far as I know, outside of the Marathon, this is one of the longest road races in the country. At 15 miles (24 kms), this is a tough race and a good challenge for many runners. It is often used by people in Cork and Munster as preparation for the Dublin City Marathon at the end of October.

Course - The start is close to St.Patrick's church near the railway station in Cork city. The course then follows the river, going down the lower road and towards the Dunkettle roundabout. After that, you go down the offramp by the flyover and make your way onto the old road which goes past Glounthaune. Down past the old Youghal Carpet plant and then take the bridge over the main road and head towards Fota, Belvelly bridge and on into Cobh. The finish is close to the main square in the centre of Cobh.
Overall, there are a few small hills but nothing major. A big factor on this course can be the wind. You are basically running East for 8 miles and then South for another 6 miles before turning East again for the last mile.
I remember running this many years ago when it was wet and there was a very strong Southerly wind. Miles 1 to 8 were fine but as soon as we turned South, the very wet t-shirt that I was wearing was pressed against my chest and I could really begin to feel the body temperature dropping (...by the way, you should never wear a cotton t-shirt in a race! Wear a singlet and/or a thermal vest).
So, watch the weather forecast closer to next weekend and keep an eye on the wind direction.

Entries - You can still enter this race on the day near the start line. Cost is €20 and there is a free t-shirt included in this price. Note the start time is 9:30am so get there early! They will start taking entries from 8:00am onwards. I reckon that there will be around 500 to 600 runners taking part so it's going to be very busy.

Gear - The BHAA will provide tags in the hall near the start for your bag and then transport your gear down to Cobh. You can re-collect it in Cobh in the scout hall which is up behind the car park behind St.Coleman's Catheral. This is also where the refreshments and prizegiving will be.

Transport Options - You probably have a few options in terms of transport...
1) Two cars...take 2 cars to Cobh, leave one in Cobh and drive up to Cork
2) Train...There is an excellent train service between Cork and Cobh. You can park your car in Cork and get the train back after the race. The relevant trains from Cobh to Cork on a Sunday are at 12:25 , 13:35, 14:50, 16:25 and 17:30 depending on long you want to stay around after the race. The train stations are very close to the start and finish of the race so this might be a good option. I think the cost of the ticket is €3.55.
By the way, the first train from Cobh to Cork is at 9:15 so leaving your car in Cobh and getting the train up to Cork is not an option.

Distance - If this is your first time trying 15 miles, then be careful to pace it properly. It's very easy to go off too fast and get to the 10 mile mark near Belvelly bridge / Fota and find that you have run out of steam. Keep something in reserve until you hit the bridge. If you feel fine, then push on. If you are tired, then at least you have kept something to get you through the last 5 miles.

Water Stations - There will be 4 water stations out along the course. The approx locations are at 4.0 miles, 8.0 miles, 10.3 miles and 12.8 miles. (Thanks to Kevin Cummins for the update on these)

...and finally - If you want to have a closer look at the course, click on this LINK