1) Route....They usually use the same route as the BHAA 'FMC' race which was on last January. This time however, there are road works in the industrial estate so a new route will be used.
2) Entries.........The BHAA are having some trouble getting everyone registered on time before the races start. It would make a big difference if more people could turn up early ...i.e. before 10am and get the registration out of the way. This would take the pressure off the peak time which is around 10:30am.
The race itself will start at 11am.
Other than that, the details for the race remain the same as the FMC race.
Directions...If you are coming out of the city, the best way to get there is probably to enter Little Island from the Tunnel roundabout on the North side of the Jack Lynch tunnel. The Little Island/ Tunnel Management road is just to the left of the tunnel entrance, so one needs to be in the left-most lane, when approaching the tunnel....
At the top of this short road, there is a small roundabout. Take the exit marked "Little Island Ind Estate". Keep going for about one mile.You will pass Pfizer's, Henkel/Cognis, and Punch Industries (all on the left). You will see a small ruined castle and a mobile phone mast on the left. The Little Island Sports Complex is next.
The advantage of this route is that you will pass over both the Start and Finish lines, and you should have less difficulty finding that Start line, after registering.
Parking.....There is ample parking in front of and behind the Sport Complex, so there is no need to park on the main road. There is plenty of space across the road in the industrial estate as well.
Registration....Inside the hall, there will be 2 queues....one for registered runners (€5) and one for non-registered (€8). With the big crowd expected, it might be no harm to get there early especially if you are a registered runner.
Alternative Course...Due to some roadworks in the industrial estate that is normally used, the route has been modified...
This is a little bit closer to the sports hall but you still need to allow some time to get to the start line. The first mile pretty flat with the only real pull of the race coming around 1.4 miles. After that, it's right into an industrial area and down to the end of the road where you turn around a cone.
It's important that you follow the stewards instructions here and stay on the left hand side of the road so as not to obstruct the other runners coming in the opposite direction.
After 2 miles, you just retrace your steps back to the finish line which is a bit further away from the sports hall compared to the old finish on the usual route.
Overall...The new alternative course is very similar to the old course so you can expect the same sort of time. There is only 1 small hill so it's a pretty fast course. The proximity of the race to Cork City is sure to attract a large crowd. Allow time for getting registered and getting down to the start line. Get there early!!
If you want to take a closer look at the route, I have it up on the MapMyRun website...just click +/- to zoom in and out.
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