Preview of the Fota Cheetah Run 4 mile race...Thurs 16th May 2013

This 4 mile race in Fota Wildlife Park is coming up on Thursday evening, the 16th of May. Please note that the 800 entries for this race sold out nearly two weeks ago and there will be NO entries on the night.

The race starts at 8pm. With so many people taking part, it's best to arrive early. The entry desks will be open before 7pm. There will be lists posted outside the hall. Just check these to get your number and join the correct queue inside.

Note...
1) Please note that headphones are NOT allowed in this race.
2) Access to Fota Wildlife Park is only allowed in the company of a registered runner.

Chip Timing & Start area.........The big change this is is the introduction of chip timing. The start area will be broken up into zones broken up into 4 minute blocks. So for example, if you are running between 6 minutes and 7 minutes per mile then you go into the 24 to 28 minute block. If everyone sticks to their correct time zone then things run a lot smoother. Your time doesn't start until you cross the start mat so there is no issue being behind the faster runners.

Course......Unusually for a race, none of the course is on public roads.

To achieve the full 4 miles, the course does several loops within the park and one larger loop outside by Fota House. The white dotted lines show the extent of the Wildlife Park.

If you look at the map above, you can see how the race will proceed. You start near the Cheetah enclosure which will be split up into various time zones to keep the slower runners away from the front.

The race first takes in a loop around by the Sea Eagles (yellow loop). It then returns to the start area and starts a second loop (blue) which goes outside the park and out by Fota House.

The third loop (Red) is back within the park and the finish line is close to the registration area.

Overall...There are a number of hills on the course but they are pretty small. As you can see from the pictures above, the roads within the park are pretty narrow so it's important that you get into the correct area at the start. You can expect your time to be reasonably fast.

The race is organised by Eagle AC and is sponsored by Laya Healthcare and John Buckley Sports.

In a special offer for the race, John Buckley Sports will give a 20% discount on production of your Cheetah Run Race number from Friday May 17th until Sat May 25th, i.e. for one week after the race. This discount applies to any item in the shop. So for example, you could buy a number of items and you will get 20% off the lot. Spend €60 and you will have saved the entry fee of the race. Make sure you retain your race number if you want to avail of this offer.

Weather Forecast...The current forecast shows some wet weather coming in from the west on Thursday. The question is what time will it reach Fota?