The next road race in Cork is the Cork BHAA 'UCC' 10 km road race next Sunday, the 3rd of April 2011 at 11am. This race takes in the Lee Road / Straight Rd circuit and is likely to attract around 400 runners.
This year however there are some major changes!...The pavillion in the Mardyke WILL NOT be used......and the Lee Maltings WILL NOT be used.
The UCC Western Gateway building on the Western Road will be used for registration, refreshments and prizegiving. This is on the site of the old dog track and it's impossible to miss it considering it's size. There are 120 car spaces in the Western Gateway but extra parking will be available at the Áras na Laoi car park (near Gaol Cross). There is a large carpark there and not too far from the Gateway. Just follow the stewards directions on the day.
Registration....as per usual with Cork BHAA races, the cost of entries is €8 for non-registered runners and €5 for registered runners.
Considering the large entry expected, the Cork BHAA are asking that all runners should try to arrive early and enter by 10am. This helps to avoid the large bottleneck that builds up around 10:30am and lets them start the race on time at 11am.
Getting to the start.....as you can see from the map above, the start line is only a few hundred metres away. As you leave the Western Gateway, turn left and then right. You cross over Wellington Bridge and the start line is just a bit up the road in Sundays Well.
Course.........the start is on a hill and you run downhill for about 200 metres...
...and then as it flattens out, you run alongside the river with the bridge ahead and you'll see the County Hall off to the left which is near the finish of the race....
You carry straight on and out the Lee Road. The first 2 miles are reasonable although there are a few short pulls. After 2 miles, you will have gained some height and the most serious hill is just ahead...
It's not really steep but it's a long drag. Once you hit the top, there is a steep descent to the 3 mile mark as you head back towards the river. As you approach the bridge, there is a bit of a pull as you go over it....
...but after that, it's more or less flat all the ways to the finish line about 3 miles away. You pass the Anglers Rest pub...
....and then join the Straight Road and at roughly 4 miles, you can see how it gets it's name...
Dead straight and flat for 2 miles. From time to time, you will see the County Hall way off in the distance and the finish line is just beyond it....
Please note that this is a busy road and there will be plenty of traffic on it. As you can see from the photos, at the start of the Straight Road, runners have to use the footpath or stay very close to it. As you get closer to the finish, there is a lot more room with the bus lane available.
Once the County Hall looms overhead, you'll know that the finish is just beyond it...
...and the finish point is just at the side of the road near a small car park....
From here, it is a short walk back to the Western Gateway building.
Prizes....The organisers want runners to put their race numbers into a box at the prizegiving in the canteen (markers available). They will then pull out the spots from this (including the Hayfield Manor prize).
