A look at the Glengarriff parkrun numbers as the event turns 10-years old - Jan 2026

The inaugural Glengarriff 5k parkrun was held on Saturday 2nd January 2016 and it celebrated its 10th birthday on the 3rd of January 2026!

This event like the other parkruns in Ireland is a community based free event and it has been a huge success in that it has allowed a huge number of people to get some exercise in a safe environment on a Saturday morning.

The most recent event on the 3rd of January 2026 was the 419th edition and this is what the weekly numbers look like for the last 10-years...

You can see the initial surge in 2016 due to the novelty factor and then it settled down to a lower figure.

It looks as if 2020 was on track to be a good year for numbers but of course, that came to a halt with the pandemic restrictions in March of that year.

It's a bit hard to see any trends with all the 'noise' from the data so let's look at the average weekly numbers on a calendar year basis...

This chart shows the initial surge in 2016, the decline in 2017 and then a steady growth in numbers up to 2019.

I wouldn't read too much into the 2020 spike as it was largely due to the usual surge in numbers in January and February as people set out new years resolutions to get fitter. The lower numbers from all the events later in the year are missing and that would have brought down the 2020 average.

Post pandemic, the event restarted in September of 2021 and again, that figure is a bit on the low side as the January / February surge is missing. The steady recovery from 2022 onwards can be seen up to 2024.

It's interesting to note that the weekly average for 2025 was down by about 3 on the figure for 2024. It's not a big drop but it does suggest that the era of annual growth in numbers is over.

Why the drop in 2025??? Some possible reasons...

a) Tourist numbers from the UK to Ireland dropped 4% in 2025 compared to 2024. Considering how popular parkrun is in the UK, many tourists might take in a local parkrun while they're vising west Cork.

b) Glengarriff itself is quite small and a number of people from towns like Kenmare and Bantry probably visit most weeks. Is the higher cost of fuel and travel a factor?

c) Or is it just natural variability? Is an average of about 75 participants per week the natural number that an event like this in west Cork will attract?

Do parkrun numbers really matter??? For road races and the like with online entries, chip timing, prizes, refreshments, etc, a certain number of people need to enter before the race breaks even. For 5k parkruns which are free, that's not the case. 

Perhaps the one possible benefit is that there is a larger pool of people which might make getting volunteers every week easier?

Link... If you're thinking of visiting the Glengarriff parkrun then you can find all the details here... https://www.parkrun.ie/glengarriff/

I picked Glengarriff to do my 100th parkrun and it certainly didn't disappoint. Glengarriff Woods is a lovely location for a run and the course is one big 5k loop as opposed to multiple laps. Recommended.

Addendum: The old course had quite a tough hill. The new 'flatter' course was introduced on the 5th of October 2019. Looking at the results back then, it doesn't seem to have had any immediate impact in terms of numbers.

New walking trail proposed for Glengarriff

It was announced recently that there is a plan for a new walking trail in Glengarriff linking the village to Glengarriff Woods. At present, there is a 650-metre stretch of the N71 road separating the two which is very dangerous for walkers and runners to use.

It also means that any visitors to the Glengarriff parkrun have to drive there instead of running or walking out from the village.

The distance from the parkrun to the Castletownbere road junction is 1.3kms, it's 1.5kms to the Glengarriff Park Hotel and 2kms to Eccles Hotel.

The new trail would also allow easier access to the quite country roads to the west of Glengarriff Woods and up to the upland areas around Barley Lake.

Results of the Glengarriff 5-mile - Sat 6th Sep 2025

The Glengarriff 5-mile road race was held on a wet Saturday 6th of September 2025.

A look at the Glengarriff 5k parkrun numbers as it passes 400 events

The Glengarriff 5k parkrun in west Cork started back on the 2nd of January 2016 and on the 24th of May 2025, they held their 400th edition. The chart above shows the numbers over the years. It shows the initial surge in numbers, the drop off in 2017 and then the steady rise.

Unlike the parkruns in or near Cork City, the parkruns in West Cork vary quite a bit depending on the time of year.

Glengarrif is fairly remote and the catchment area are locals and runners from the nearest population centres of Bantry and Kenmare. In the Summer months and Bank Holiday weekends, the numbers of tourists or people going home gives a boost to the numbers.

If we look at the average number per event for each year, it gives a better idea of what the change in numbers is like.

This shows the drop in numbers in 2017 which is followed by a gradual rise in 2018 and 2019.

The numbers for 2020 are inflated somewhat as it just shows the start of the year until the start of March. Then of course the pandemic kicked in and there were no more events to bring the average down.

In 2021, the parkrun resumed in September but the numbers were well down as they were for nearly all running events.

2022, 2023 & 2024 showed a gradual recovery which mirrors a lot of other events. 2024 was a good year with an average of 77 finishers per event.

2025 in the chart above is marked with a * because it only covers up to the 7th of June. The average numbers so far for 2025 are down a bit on 2024 but there is still the tourist season to bring up the average. On the flip side, there is also the cold and wet days in the last quarter of the year to bring it back down again.

It does suggest that perhaps the numbers in Glengarriff are going to even off this year? We'll know for sure at the end of the year.

Do numbers matter?... The number of finishers for any 5k parkrun isn't a critical issue. They're not like road races where they need a certain number of runners to pay for the permits, prizes and all the other stuff. 

Parkruns are free and it's the same regardless whether there are 20 or 200 taking part. The main benefit however of larger numbers is that there is a larger pool of people available that might volunteer to help out at future events.

Results of the IMRA Glengarriff 8km trail race - Sun 23rd July 2023

Carol Finn was the first woman across the finish line

IMRA held an 8km trail race near Glengarriff in West Cork on Sun 23rd July 2023.

Top 3 men & women...
1 Henry Browne 672 M40 40:30 West Muskerry... Cork
2 Nick Hogan 654 M40 40:31 Cork
3 John Lynch 3494 M45 45:59 Tracton AC Cork
7 Carol Finn 611 F35 49:20 Cork
12 Annie Connelly 3406 F 51:43 
13 Siobhán Dineen 2083 F45 52:13 Cork

Full results HERE

Notice: IMRA Glengarriff 8km trail race - Sun 23rd July 2023

IMRA are holding an 8km trail race near Glengarriff in West Cork on Sunday 23rd July 2023. This one could be quite tough with the forecasted weather so it might be more suited to those who have done IMRA events in the past.

Entries close Saturday at 6pm. Entries... https://imra.ie/events/details/id/2364/

The location of the race is about 3kms to the east of Glengarriff.

From IMRA...

DESCRIPTION: Glengarriff
COUNTY: Cork
DATE: Sunday 23 July, 2023
TIME: 12:00
CLIMB (M): 375
DISTANCE (KM): 8.00
RACE MARKING: Only major junctions marked - Only major junctions marked
GPS ALLOWED: Yes
ENTRY CLOSES: 2023-07-22 18:00:00
ENTRY COST: €7 for seniors, €5 for over 65s and under 18s

Results of the Glengarriff 5-mile road race - Sat 4th Sept 2021

A smallish crowd of 129 runners turned out for this 5-mile race in Glenarriff in West Cork on Sat 4th Sept 2021.

1 Eoghan Mc Elhinney Bantry A.C. M 0:29:28 
2 James Grufferty Leevale A.C. M 0:29:42 
3 Edward Casey Clonakilty Road Runners M 0:30:05 
5 Hannah Steeds Clonmel A.C. F 0:31:29 
11 Rosaleen Mackeown Leevale A.C. F40 0:33:44 
5 Andrea Bickerdike Leevale A.C. F 0:34:46 

Full results HERE

Glengarriffe 5k parkrun celebrates its 4th Birthday

The 5k parkrun celebrated its 4th birthday on Saturday the 4th of January 2020 and got a field of over 100 runners.

The numbers per week for all of the events for the four years are shown in the chart above. If we get the average per week and break it down per year then it looks like this...

As you can see, after a dip in 2017 the numbers have recovered and were at an all time high in 2019.

What's interesting about the Glengarriff parkrun is that it isn't centred on a large population centre. There are only a few hundred people living in Glengarriff and it's likely that only a very small percentage of them are runners. It's likely that it attracts runners from a much wider area which probably includes towns like Bantry and Kenmare.

How many other small towns and villages could also hold a free weekly 5k parkrun?

Runners and volunteers at the 4th anniversary of the Glengarriff 5k parkrun

A look at the Glengarriff 5k parkrun...

The Glengarriff parkrun began at the start of 2016 and attracted a lot of runners from the local area. As the novelty died away, the numbers have fallen to about 30 or so per week other than some peaks due to Operation Transformation and the Summer tourist season.

One of the problems with Glengarriff is that the village has a population of only about 1,000 people. As only a percentage of these would have any interest in a 5k parkrun, the local pool of runners is quite small.

The larger catchment area would include the towns of Bantry (pop 3,000) and Kenmare (pop 2,000) but this would require a round trip of about an hour for most runners.

It's not all about numbers of course but in general, the more runners that take part, the bigger the pool from which to get volunteers. The current event director has now stepped down and the future of the parkrun is in some doubt unless someone else takes on the role.

You can see the statement from Glengarriff parkrun below...
 

Glengarriff parkrun cancelled due to flooding

The 5k parkrun in Glengarriff in West Cork had to be cancelled this morning (24-09-2016) due to the heavy rain overnight. As you can see from the photo above, the run off from the local mountains resulted in parts of the course being flooded.

All going well, they should be back in action next week.

Ongoing numbers for the Glengarriff and Castlehaven parkruns

Following on from the post about the second anniversary of the Bere Island parkrun, I had a look at the numbers for the other two parkruns in West Cork...Glengarriff and Castlehaven. Both began in January of 2016 and the numbers are shown below.

Glengarriff 5k parkrun...

As you can see from the chart above, it started off with the usual surge that accompanies most new parkruns but it took quite a while for the numbers to drop off. In June, they were pretty poor before recovering somewhat during the tourist season in August.

I'm not exactly sure why the numbers were reasonable in March & April and so poor in June when the weather might be a bit nicer?

As the winter approaches, it'll be even more challenging for the numbers to hold up. One of the issues with Glengarriff is that it is pretty remote. The local population of Glengarriff is only about 800 and the nearest large town is Bantry (pop 3300) which is a 20 min drive away. Add in a return trip and that's 40 mins of driving for a 5k run.

Castlehaven 5k parkrun...

The numbers in Castlehaven have been more consistent than Glengarriff and this is probably due to the fact that it is only a 10 minute drive from the town of Skibbereen (pop 2500). It has been averaging about 40-50 per week for the last few weeks and shows no sign of dropping.

This was set up by a local GAA club so that may well be another source of local support.

If you are thinking of trying a new parkrun then both these ones are pretty nice. They are set in woodland and are worth the trip especially if it's a nice sunny day.

New 5k parkrun starts in Glengarriff in West Cork...Sat 2nd Jan 2016

The very first 5k parkrun in Glengarriff in West Cork was held on Saturday the 2nd of January 2016 and attracted 104 runners. As can be seen from the photo above, it was a little bit damp so it might well get a bit more on a dry day. 

1 Eoghan MCELHINNEY    20:02    SM18-19    M
2 Alan SHEEHY    20:03    SM30-34    M
3 Padraig COURTNEY    20:56    SM30-34    M    Castlehaven GAA
11 Geraldine O SULLIVAN    23:04    VW55-59    F    Bantry Athletic Club   
12 Rebecca HARRINGTON    24:17    JW11-14    F    Bantry Athletic Club
13 Deirdre HARRINGTON    24:23    VW40-44    F    Bantry Athletic Club

The full results can be seen HERE

Parkrun in Glengarriff starts on Sat 2nd Jan 2016

It has been recently announced that a new 5km weekly parkrun will start in Glengarriff on Saturday the 2nd of January 2016. This will be the fifth parkrun in Co.Cork and these are the various start dates...
Macroom...18th May 2013
Clonakilty...1st February 2014
Bere Island...30th August 2014
Tramore Valley Park...26th September 2015
Glengarriff...2nd January 2016

It'll be interesting to see what kind of numbers this one gets especially once the initial novelty has worn off. Glengarriff has a population of about 800 people and obviously only a small percentage of them are running. An obvious source of runners is from the town of Bantry (pop 3,300) but will they make a round trip of 20 miles every Saturday for a parkrun?

Once the Summer arrives with the influx of tourists, the weekly parkrun should be a welcome attraction for the area.

Info from the organisers......Glengarriff parkrun off the blocks on January 2nd

Glengarriff Nature Reserve will be the venue for West Cork’s newest parkrun which is launching just in time for Operation Transformation 2016! Glengarriff will join the growing list of Cork locations where people can take part in weekly timed parkruns when its event is launched on January 2nd 2016. Runners, joggers, and walkers are all welcome to participate in the parkruns which will take place each Saturday morning at 9:30am.

The parkrun movement began in London in 2004 and has gained worldwide popularity in recent years. Almost 43,000 runners, joggers, and walkers have taken part in the weekly timed 5k events in Ireland since parkrun was launched here in November 2012. Successful events are already well-established on Bere Island, as well as in Macroom and Clonakilty, and the Glengarriff parkrun’s organisers are confident that the new route will prove attractive to locals and visitors alike.

The Glengarriff run route is located within the village’s nature reserve, and will bring people on a scenic trail through the reserve’s woodlands. “The Glengarriff parkrun will give tourists and locals alike a really fantastic way to meet people and to enjoy Beara’s spectacular scenery. We’ll be helping people to get fit too, and attracting visitors to Glengarriff throughout the year”, explains Áine O’Sullivan, Community Development Worker for the Disability Federation of Ireland.

“When a parkrun comes to a community, it inspires everyone, young and old, to get out and exercise”, explains Nuala Carey, the event director for the Glengarriff parkrun. “There are real potential health benefits that come with having a local parkrun, and there’s a great social side to it all too. Parkruns are very friendly events which quickly become a focal point in a community like ours. With Operation Transformation just around the corner, lots of people are making resolutions to improve their fitness in 2016. We’ve appointed an Operation Transformation ambassador who’s going to be on hand to give support to anyon who wants to use Glengarriff parkrun to become healthier in 2016 and beyond.”
The Glengarriff team have had great support from their Bere Island neighbours who have made a huge success of their run since its launch in August 2014, and the creation of the new parkrun is a sign of the growing interest in running and fitness across West Cork.

Recent meeting between organisers of the Bere Island & Glengarriff parkruns

To participate or to volunteer, register for the parkrun at http://parkrun.ie/glengarriff .  For further information, contact Nuala Carey at 027 63744.

New parkrun for Glengarriff in West Cork?

It looks as if another new parkrun might be starting up in Co.Cork.

On Tuesday evening the 6th of October, there was an information evening about a new proposed 5km parkrun in the nature reserve in Glengarriff in West Cork.

If it goes ahead then it will be the fifth park run in Cork. In order of starting, the others are Macroom, Clonakilty, Bear Island and Tramore Valley Park in Cork City.

Results of the Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k...Sun 4th May 2014

The Bay Run Half-Marathon & 10k was held in Bantry, West Cork on Sunday the 4th of May. The Half-Marathon attracted a field of 331 runners of which 43.8% were women. In the 10k, there were 241 taking part and an amazing 73% were women.

Half-Marathon...
1    Alan O'Shea 1:13:04 Senior Male
2    Eugene MCCARTHY 1:19:07 Ages 45-54 Male
3    Dermot RYAN 1:20:34 Ages 35-44 Male 
4    Mark CRONIN 1:23:01 Senior  (2)     Male
5    Michael BYRNE 1:23:06 Senior  (3)     Male
6    Nollaigh HUNTER 1:24:08 Ages 35-44 Female
34    Charlene WILEY 1:36:15 Senior Female
51    Noreen CROWLEY 1:39:10 Senior Female
52    Brigid HARTNETT 1:39:30 Ages 35-44 Female
53    Evelyn MULLINS 1:39:32 Ages 45-54 Female

10k results...
1    Denis Coughlen 35:34     Senior Male
2    Cillian Mchugh 41:05     Senior Male 
3    Niall HAYDEN 41:22     Senior Male 
4    Annemarie POWER 42:18     Ages 35-44 Female
11    Siobhan O CALLAGHAN 46:44     Ages 35-44 Female 
13    Lauren NOLAN 46:59     Senior Female

The full results can be seen HERE

Event notice...Bay Run Half-Marathon and 10k - Sun 4th May 2014

The Bay Run half-marathon in Bantry in West Cork started back in 2007 and has been held on the May Bank Holiday weekend since. Last year, it was announced that the 2013 race would be the last one. The event itself has traditionally attracted large numbers of people to the town of Bantry that weekend and the loss of the race would have meant a big fall off in trade for local hotels, B&B's and businesses.

To keep the race going, the local Maritime Hotel in Bantry took over the organising of the event with the aim of continuing to attract people to the town for that weekend. As well as the usual half-marathon, they have also added a 10k and a family 3k run in order to widen the appeal. They also changed the end of the race to make it more attractive

In terms of location, it's a stunning spot for the race and it would probably ideally suit people that want a weekend away as Bantry is central to the Beara, Mizen and Sheeps Head peninsulas.

The half-marathon is slightly unusual in that it is a point to point event as opposed to a loop. Runners are taken by bus from the town of Bantry to the start line in Glengarriff. The route itself takes in a loop through some woods near Glengarriff and then heading towards the finish line in Bantry.

This parts of Ireland is of course well known for it's hills and mountains and this is relected in the course. There are a few pulls along the route but of course, the advantage of this is the scenic view....

The photo above shows Garnish Island nestled in Bantry Bay with the mountains of the Beara Peninsula in the background. Sugarloaf mounatin with it's sharp sides looks very impressive  from here. It's a stunning part of west Cork with some of the best views in Ireland.

It's probably not the fastest of courses but for anyone who wants to make it part of a long weekend away, it's hard to beat. Entry to the race includes bus transfer and a dry fit t-shirt. The 10k option uses most of the same route and has a bus transfer and dry fit top as well.

The race website is http://www.bayrun.ie

More info in later posts...

Results of the Bay Run Half-Marathon...Sun 5th May 2013

A total of 518 runners and 75 walkers turned out for this year's Bay Run Half-Marathon in West Cork. The numbers were well down on last year with a 37% reduction in the number of runners (2012 = 827).

1 Sandis BRALITIS    01:09:32    01:09:30    Senior    Male    1
2 Alan O SHEA    01:12:12    01:12:10    Senior    Male    2
3 Gavin SWEENEY    01:12:23    01:12:21    Senior    Male    3
4 Claire GIBBONS-MCCARTHY    01:21:04    01:21:00    3544    Female    1
12 Nollaigh O'NEILL    01:25:36    01:25:31    3544    Female    2
1 Ann Marie HOLLAND    01:27:05    01:27:01    3544    Female    3

The full results can be seen HERE

Video...

Did you take part in this event? What did you think of it??? Click on the comment link below to leave your opinion.

Results of the 'Bay Run' Half Marathon - Sun 4th May 2008
It looks like 629 runners turned out for this half-marathon in West Cork which went from Glengarriff to Bantry over a hilly course.

Results...
Mens Results
Womens Results

Photos...
There are some photos of this race at this LINK.

Comments...
Did you run in this race? What did you think of it?

"Published results seem about 30 seconds too slow. Hills were something else!! Well organised. Great setting for a race....Anonymous"

"Very well organised and friendly race....Anonymous"

"Hi John. Great event, lovely course, great scenery, well organized, plenty of choc bars, drinks, fruit afterwards, lovely medals and T-shirts for all finisher's. One tough climb that lasted one mile but it was early in the race so did not bother me at all. The rest of the course was pretty flat with some small drags here and there. The finish was very well done with the right hand side of the road was closed off with tape and cones. I'm guessing a half a mile to the finish line so you had no obstructions in the way, runners warming down were kept well out of the way from the guys finishing their race which of course is always good. Over all, well worth the journey and the entry fee. Will hope to do this race for many years to come. Has to go down as one of my favourite events. Well done to all the organizer's and stewards for a wonderful half marathon.........Kind Regards, John Dunphy, Rising Sun AC"

"The official results are bizarre, they added 30 seconds to everyone's time. The race itself was great, and those hills are still as tough as ever. I know the entry fee is steep, but as long as they keep the race so well organised. I'll keep coming back....Thomas"

"Well organised, parked at Bantry and bused to start. The hills made for interesting pacing. Early start meant plenty of time for well desrved lunch and time to take in scenic drive/walk afterwards. Great day out!......Anonymous"

"It was a great race and well organised but it's very strange that the official results were so far out. I thought chip timing was suppose to be bang on.....Anonymous"

"My guess is there was a false start, then around 30sec later the race began. It was well organised with plenty of water stations and great support along the course. Well done keep up the good work.......N O'Mahony"

"Hi John. The team at Bayrun 08 have now gone back on the results and have changed the times for each athlete by 30 seconds. The new results of Bayrun 08 are now on www.bayrun.ie ,just click on results....John Dunphy, Rising Sun AC "