COVID-19: 2km limit for exercise from home extended to 5kms

The Government has just announced that the limit from home for personal exercise will be extended from 2kms to 5kms on Tuesday the 5th of May.

To see your limit, go to this website and select 5kms... https://2kmfromhome.com/

Going from 2kms to 5kms may not sound like much but it's a major change. A 2km radius covers an area of almost 13 square kms. A 5km radius covers an area of almost 79 square kms.

And of course within that 79 square km area, there are going to be a lot more roads and paths to choose from. The map above shows a 5km limit based on Patrick's Street in Cork City. As you can see, it covers a large area.

I checked my own 5km limit and practically all of my usual short and medium running routes fit inside the 5km radius.

What next??... Well, it looks as if the 'social distancing' of 2-metres apart is going to be with us for a long while to come. With the removal of the 2km limit, there are likely to be plenty of 'virtual runs' starting up as many charities will have seen their fundraising dry up with the lockdown.

As I come across them, I'll start putting them up on the race calendar.

Update: Just to illustrate just how much can be done within a 5km radius, the map below shows that the 26.2 mile Cork City Marathon almost fits completely within the 5km limit.

There are plenty of options there if people take the time to explore new routes.