Preview of the Carrigaline 5 mile road race - Sun 19th Feb 2012

The Carrigaline 5 mile road race on Sunday, 19th of Feb at 11am is the next big race locally. Located just to the south of Cork City, it should be within easy reach for a lot of people. Coming just 2 weeks before the Ballycotton '10' on the 4th of March, it is ideally placed to test your fitness level to see what it's like. The race is organised by Eagle AC...my own club...HINT HINT ;o)

The town of Carrigaline is only five miles south of the South Ring Road.

Getting there.....As you approach Carrigaline, take the relief road going left towards Crosshaven. Stay on this until you come to the next major junction. The Community Centre is about 100 metres to the left / East of this junction. However, there is very limited or no parking there. There is plenty of parking if you drive straight ahead. Go through the junction and after 200 metres, there is a large car park on the right. If that gets full, there is another large car park at a local Lidl store just ahead.

Both car parks are a very short walk from the Community Centre. Follow the race stewards instructions on the day.

Entries......The entry fee for 2012 is €8. One Euro of this will be donated to Carrigaline Meals on Wheels. Once you enter the hall, you will have to fill out a form with your details before you register for the race. If you have pre-registered, go straight to the Pre-Entry desk where your number will be waiting for you.

You will be able to register online on the Eagle AC website until Saturday evening at 8pm if you want to avoid the queue on Sunday. You pay at the pre-reg desk.

Changing and showers for ladies upstairs, changing only for gents in main hall.

Details of prizes, etc on the race flyer shown in an earlier post.

Race Sponsor......The main sponsor for the race is The Edge Sports Shop. They will be giving out discount vouchers.... (details...15% off items in the Running Store, 20% off other selected items) to all race entrants. Obviously the amount saved at the time of purchase may well exceed the cost of the race entry so it makes sense to get your hands on one. For example, if you spend €53 with the discount voucher, you save €8...the race entry fee. The voucher expires on the 30th of April.

From the sponsor.....The Edge Sports shop Specialises in Running, Cycling, Swimming and Triathlon. All sales staff participate in at least one but generally two or more of the sports and are able to give excellent advise to customers. The new Superstore boasts a large Running Department and Swimming Department on the 1st floor; with stacks of bikes, clothing, accessories and electronics on the ground floor. Keen runners for the respective clubs - Robert Patterson (St. Finbarr's AC), Dave Lyons (Mallow AC) and Barry Donovan (Leevale AC) rotate between the two shops depending on the day of the week. Video Running Gait Analysis is available on demand at both shops to help customers select the best shoe for their running needs.

They have two shops in Cork City. One on the North Main Street in the city centre and a much larger superstore out by the Kinsale Road Roundabout. If you look at the preview for the Tramore Vally 5k race last November, you'll find a map showing the exact location.

The Course...It's not the flattest of races with a few drags out along the course but nothing too serious. You start about 500 metres east of the Community Centre in a housing estate. When you come out of the community centre, turn right and follow everyone else.

The road is fairly wide at the start....

...and it's slightly downhill as well so it's very fast. By the time you reach the main road, the field will have begun to thin out.

There is nothing special about the first two miles. It's pretty flat with a few small hills and you can expect your first mile time to be very fast. Note that the road will not closed for the race. It's the most direct route between Carrigaline and Ringaskiddy and there may be some traffic on it. It's usually quiet enough though and there are race stewards at all of the road junctions.

Just before the 2 mile mark, you run down a slight hill to the road junction by Coolmore Lodge.......and left......

........and then uphill past the 2 mile mark. This is probably the hardest part of the course as it's uphill for about 800 metres until you reach the grotto....

Through the two bends and rom here, it gets easier as you run down to Shanbally village, past the church and back out of the village again. Then the road starts downhill near the 3 mile mark...a fast section of the course all inside the hard shoulder of the main road....

At about 3.5 miles, you turn left off the main road and then you have the next climb.....

It's pretty short but enough to get you into trouble if you push too hard. Then you run downhill to the 4 mile mark which is in a slight hollow and then climb back out at the other side....

This is the third real hill in the race and the least serious. At the top, the road flattens out and the last 1km or so of the course is either flat or slightly downhill. Through the next junction and right into the housing estate.....

Downhill through the housing estate and after the last corner which is a sharp left....

....the finish is about 100 metres away so you should see it in plenty of time.

Overall........probably not the fastest of 5 mile courses but not the worst either. In many ways, the profile of the race is similar to that of the Ballycotton '10'.....some parts flat, some parts downhill and some parts uphill. That's why it should give a good indication of what your 10 mile time might be.

Carrigaline...Sun 19th Feb...11am