Carrigaline 5 mile road race this weekend...Sun 17th Feb 2013

The big race this weekend in Cork is of course the Carrigaline 5 mile road race on Sunday, 17th of Feb at 11am. 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 3rd 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 2013 is €10. Two Euro of this will be donated to local charities.

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......One of the main sponsors for the race is The Edge Sports Shop. They will be giving out 20% discount vouchers 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 €50 with the discount voucher, you save €10...the race entry fee.

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 back in 2011, 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.

A full preview of the full course with photos is available at http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork001.html