Located about 10 miles west of Mallow, it's just off the N72 road to Killarney so access shouldn't be an issue.
It's likely that there will be several medium distance races in the Spring of 2018 to choose from and I'd guess a lot will depend on location or what people are looking for. Some will be flat and fast, others will be hilly.
With that in mind, I had a look at the new Banteer 10 mile course to see what it might be like. Please note that this is provisional!
The first two miles are in a loop near Banteer and are pretty flat. There have been plenty of short races on this loop in the past so a lot of people will be familiar with it.
From about 2 miles to 3 miles, there is a climb on the road heading south towards Nad. It turns off left then over Fr.Murphy's Bridge and climbs again onto the edge of the forestry on the lower slopes of Mount Hillary.
From 4 to 6 miles, the road is level and elevated which should give a nice view out over the valley of the Blackwater River.
After mile 6, you take a sharp left, head north away from Mount Hillary and down towards the river. This results in a steep enough drop.
If you look at the map again, you'll see that the course is near the meandering Blackwater River for the last 3 miles. i.e. If the river isn't flowing in a straight line then it suggests that the gradient is shallow. i.e. It's going to be flat enough for the last 3 miles which means a fast finish.
So overall? The hills come early which is good. It's more a case of just one hill rather than a succession of them. I suspect though that it will be a race you'd just have to do to really find out how fast it really is. Looks promising though!
Plenty of 10 milers to chose from by the looks of it.
ReplyDeleteWith BallyCotton now gone & Dungarvan selling out so quickly I suspect there will be strong demand for this (any maybe another race) to fill the Ballycotton slot.
ReplyDeleteMallow AC usually have their fantastic 10 milers a few weeks later so it's great to see a new 10 mile race on offer.
Best of luck to Duhallow AC.
Will there be a Finishers Medal John for all who complete the course?
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard yet about a medal. Medals are always a difficult choice.
ReplyDeleteFor new runners coming up the ranks from 5k to 10k and then 10 miles, a medal can be like a recognition of achievement.
For more experienced runners, the last thing they want is a medal. If you're out for a say a 14 mile training run, a medal for 10 miles doesn't have much value.
I'd suspect for most races like this, a medal would only be appreciated by a minority of runners and it's just another expense.
Thanks John your feedback much appreciated- I like your description of the Route - a nice part of the County
ReplyDeleteWill look forward to training for this at the start of 2018.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck Duhallow AC.
Got an email this morning that it's moved to Newmarket, will accommodate more runners on the new course.
ReplyDeleteLooks like this is undergoing some changes?
ReplyDelete