Notice: The Great Railway Run 25km - Sun 21st Apr 2024

The annual Great Railway Run from Cork to Carrigaline will be held this year on Sunday the 21st of April 2024. 

The 25km run will start at 9:30am in Centre Park Road and the route skirts the shores of Cork Harbour. The race will finish in Carrigaline at the Lions Youth Centre on Church Road.

Update: 20th Apr 2024 - Just a reminder that the start line for the race this year is on Monahan Road.

There will be one 1.6-mile loop shown in the red arrows. Then the runners head towards the Marina (orange arrows) and then onto the Greenway and straight down to Passage West. The route will not go past Blackrock Castle.

After crossing the bridge over the Douglas Estuary, the route is the same as previous years.

Update: 17th April 2024 - SOLD OUT!

Entries: You can enter online HERE

Update: 26th March 2024 - There are now less than 100 places left.

Route... The run will roughly follow the route of the old Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway which ran from 1850 until 1932. For a large part of the run, the route will follow the old railway line that skirts the shores of Cork Harbour. 

The route shown below is approximate for the moment as some changes may be needed due to roadworks on the Marina section.

More details on the event website.

There are two things that stand out for me about this event.

1) Point to Point... Most race routes take the form of some sort of loop where the start and finish points are near each other. This is one of the very few that goes from point to point. There's something special about starting an event in Cork City and ending up down in Carrigaline.

2) Prep for the Cork City Marathon... The Great Railway Run comes 6-weeks before the Cork City Marathon and it's a good opportunity to try out your planned marathon pace. Do a short warm up before the event and then run the 25kms are your marathon pace. You should be reasonably comfortable by the time you get to the finish line. If not, you might need to revise your plans. It's also a great training session as part of your marathon preparation.

25K Prizes...

€3000 in prize money sponsored by Phelans Pharamacy. Prizes will be awarded for best overall placings as well as for age categories. Strictly one prize per entrant. The Joe West perpetual trophy will be awarded to the fastest male and female in the 25K race. Cash prizes will be as follows:

Men Overall: 1st €500, 2nd €250, 3rd €120, 4th €75

Men Categories: Wheelchair, M40, M45, M50, M55, M60, M65 - 1st in each category €50

Women Overall: 1st €500, 2nd €250, 3rd €125, 4th €75

Women Categories: Wheelchair, W40, W45, W50, W55, W60, W65 - 1st in each category €50

The prize giving will be held after the race at approximately 12:45pm in the Carrigaline Lions Youth Centre on Church Road.