Preview of the Kinsale 10 mile course

The brand new Kinsale 10 mile road race is coming up next Sunday and was advertised on the flyer as a fast scenic course. In this post, we'll have a look at the course to see how it measures up.

Is it a 'fast course'? Well, probably not and here's why.

With any course, you'll never get back the time running downhill that you lose running up a hill. It's very difficult to get a flat course in a place like Kinsale and this one hits 60m or about 200ft just after the 5 mile mark. To put that in perspective, that's higher than the highest point of the finish of the Ballyandreen 5 mile course that many of you will be familiar with the 'Beast'.

In comparison with the likes of the Dungarvan '10' or the Mallow '10', there is roughly 50% more climbing. In comparison to the old Ballycotton '10', it has about double the amount of climbing.

With the Ballycotton, Dungarvan and Mallow courses, they all remain in a valley. The Kinsale one has no option but to go up one of the surrounding hills.

Not so much a fast course but still pretty reasonable. 

I'd guess for the average runner used to finishing around the 70 minute mark, you could add 30-60 seconds to your time.

This is a profile of the route...

Description...... After a fast downhill start, the going is pretty flat until about 2.5 miles. From there there is gradual climb with a few dips up until you reach Ballynamona Cross Roads at 5.3 miles which is around 200ft above sea level.

After that, there is a gradual downhill for about two miles so this section will be very fast. Then back on the flat at 7.5 miles and an uphill finish at the very end.

You should expect to still run a reasonable time but not just as fast as Dungarvan or Mallow.

Weather... The weather forecast is for it to be 10 deg C with a strong southerly breeze which will be a headwind in the second half of the race. It's also supposed to be cloudy and overcast which is a pity as it's a lovely spot when the sun is out.