The 27th Donoughmore 7 Mile road race will be held next Friday evening at 8pm. While it is unlikely to attract the huge numbers that you might find at say a local 5k race, this one for me is one of the best on the race calendar.
So what's the attraction of this race and why would I rate it as one of the best?
1) If you look at the race calendar, there are loads of 5k, 4 mile and 5 mile races. If you miss one, you'll catch another one next week. The Donoughmore 7 is a challenging race over a unique distance.
2) While the route is tough, it is on nice quite country roads. For most of it, you are over 6-700 feet above sea level, higher than Cork Airport and you have extensive views of the local countryside.
3) The entry fee of €10 includes a 'T-shirt'. I put the T-shirt in brackets because last year, the 'T-shirt' turned out to be a proper running top rather than a typical cotton T-shirt, something you'd expect to pay €20 or more for in a sports shop.
For anyone who has not done this race before, here are the directions...
Directions...Donoughmore is about 15 miles NW of Cork City. If you are coming out the Ballincollig bypass or the Carrigrohane straight, look for directions for Nad / Banteer / Kanturk. If you follow the signposts, you should end up on the R579 road. Stay on this road for about 10 miles and keep a lookout for the turn off right to Donoughmore. The village is about 2 miles off the R579 road. See map above. If in doubt, click on the link below for the course map and zoom out and adjust to examine the route.
Course....First of all, it is a tough enough course. Plenty of hills but nothing too serious. Some people may find 7 miles to be a bit long but it is only three quarters of a mile beyond the 10 km distance so it's not so bad. The race is on quiet country roads and if you get a nice sunny Summers evening, there are nice views of the Boggeragh Mountains nearby.
The first 2 miles or so are on a nice quite narrow country road. A few little drags but nothing bad. The next 2.5 miles are along the R579 road which can be busy but the road is mostly wide and straight so it should be ok. There is a lot of downhill running here so expect it to be fast. The last 2 miles of the race are the real test with a largely uphill drag to the finish. There are no serious hills but you are climbing for most of it. If you have gone out too fast, this is where you'll get caught. Keep it in mind, keep something in reserve when you are doing those first 5 miles.
To have a closer look at the course, check out this link.......http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/ireland/cork/578270511
They usually get about the 200 mark at this race. Entry fee is €10 but for that, you get a 'T-Shirt' and there is an impressive array of prizes on offer for all the different categories. Last year, they got 208 entries (2007=218) and if the weather is fine, they should set a new record this year.
Overall.........a challenging race over a nice countryside circuit. Not to be missed.
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