Directions and Parking for the Ballycotton '10'

If you are running in this years Ballycotton '10' race for the 1st time then please note....this race is NOT like other races. You cannot turn up 20 mins before the start, park and just wander over to the start line.

The fishing village of Ballycotton is basically at the end of a cul-de-sac and the approach roads are part of the race course. As a result, the local roads are closed off well before the start of the race and most people have to park in designated car parks.

Getting there.....
For anyone not familar with the area, Ballycotton is in East Cork. If you are coming from the direction of Cork City then turn off at the roundabout on the Midleton by-pass and follow the directions for Cloyne / Shanagarry / Ballycotton. If you are coming from Waterford / Youghal then take the left at the crossroads in Castlemartyr and head south for Ladysbridge / Garryvoe. Expect traffic delays as you get closer to the parking area.

Parking....(Updated Thurs 3rd 11pm)
There will be 3 car parks in use...In all circumstances, please follow the stewards / Gardai directions on the day.

Car Park 1....This is located on the hill above the old church on the way into Ballycotton. To access this car park directly, you should approach on the road from Churchtown South. This is by far the largest car park and most of the traffic from the west (incl. Cloyne) will be directed here. Car Park 1 is approx 1.2 miles from the start line so it's only a 25 minute walk.

Car Park 2......This is just to the south of Shanagarry. If you are coming from Cloyne then you may be directed here. It is 2.3 miles from the start so the shuttle bus may be the best option.

Car Park 3....This is located at Garryvoe which is 4 miles from the start. This is the one for people coming from the east.

The shuttle buses will talk you as far as the road juction by the old church on the way into Ballycotton. There will be barricades here to stop all traffic entering the village. From here, it is about 0.8 miles or a 20 min walk to the start.

Times....If you have read the piece above then it's obvious that it's going to take some time to get to the start line. The race starts at 1:30pm. If you get there at 1:28 then you are going to have over 2,000 runners in front of you packed in tight on a narrow road.

I would recommend that you should try and get to the car parks by 11am to 11:30am. Allow time for traffic congestion on the approach roads. Allow time at the car park to wait for the bus and for the bus to travel in. Allow time for the final walk. You should aim to be at the start line roughly 15-20 minutes before the race starts....about 1:10pm.

Options....
Car Pooling.....Consider car pooling with your friends and colleagues to reduce the number of cars travelling to the area.
Bicycles.....There will be a space near the marquee at the National School for parking bicycles. Consider cycling in and out from the car parks....probably the fastest option!