Weather forecast for the 2026 Cork City Marathon

As we get nearer to the 2026 Cork City Marathon, the weather forecast is looking pretty good. While spectators might like to see blue skies and sunshine, runners want to see cool overcast conditions.

As the image shows above, it should be mostly dry with the risk of an occasional shower. The temperature should be around the mid-teens which is ideal considering that it's the last day of May and it could just be as easily be in the mid-twenties.

There's a breeze from the south-west but nothing significant.

Update Sat 30th May: It now looks as if it might be a be a bit warmer in the late morning with some broken sunshine. The temperature is 14 to 20 deg C. There is still a risk of showers but nothing persistent.

If you're doing the marathon, half or 10k, make sure not to overdress. Think singlet or short sleeve top. If you feel a bit cold at the start line then that's about right. Once the race starts, you'll be trying to stay cool after a few kms.

Weather forecast for the 2025 Cork City Marathon

 As we get closer to Sunday the 1st  of June, we can get a better idea of what the weather might be like.

At the end of this week, there is an area of low pressure nearby so the weather is changing a lot with weather fronts passing through. On race day, the weather is likely to be broken clouds with some sunshine with a reasonably strong westerly breeze.

As the day goes on, the cloud cover will increase and there is a chance of some showers.

For an event at the start of June, the forecast is about as good as it gets for a running event. The chance of rain is low and the temperature will be in the mid teens as opposed to 20 deg C plus.

For marathon runners, the wind will be into their face as they head west from Mahon to Bishopstown. The wind will be behind all runners for the end of the full, half and 10k.

As we're still a few days out, things may well change a bit but it's looking pretty good for now.

Weather forecast for the 2023 Cork City Marathon event - 4th June

This year's Cork City Marathon will be dominated by the sun and how to stay cool. As can be seen from the forecast above, it's pretty much clear skies and sunshine for all three events with temperatures in the high teens to low twenties.

10K ...The 10k event starts at 8:45am and it will be over before it gets too hot. Even still, I'm sure that those doing it will find the conditions very warm.

Marathon... This starts at 8:15am and the first half should feel reasonable. There will be a gentle easterly breeze coming in off Cork harbour which should keep things cool on the Lower road heading for the Jack Lynch tunnel and in Mahon.

The walkway after the 13.1 mile / 21.1km halfway point is covered by trees up as far as the Marina.

Once the runners reach the South Link Road, they will be some distance from the harbour and the cooing effect of the wind. Any wind that is there is likely to be a tailwind as the runners head west and with the warm air coming up from the tarmac surface, it's probably going to feel very hot.

There might be some respite when the runners head east into a light headwind on the Straight Road but it will now be near the hottest part of the day.

Half-Marathon... As above, the half is the same as the second half of the marathon.

In summary... The sunny weather is great for spectators but it means that any target times will be a challenge. Even though the organisers try to promote the event as a 'flat marathon', it's on at the wrong time of year for fast times. It's more of a case of people wanting to do it because it's their local marathon or it's a trip away.

Try to wear some sort of hat for the event to protect your head. Wear as little as possible, don't be the person standing on the start line with a running jacket because you feel a little cold. If you do feel a little chilly waiting in the shade for the race to start then that's perfect.

The main thing is to enjoy the event and don't beat yourself up if you don't hit some target time. The priority is to look after yourself and not get sunstroke.

Weather 10-Day Trend: Fri 15th to Sun 24th Jan 2021

 The weather for the next 10-days can essentially be broken up into three blocks.

After a band of rain crosses over Ireland late Friday, the dominant feature for the weekend is a weak high pressure system to the south-west of Ireland. This will keep things dry and it should be fairly pleasant for Saturday and Sunday with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine.

This high pressure system doesn't hang around however and on Monday and Tuesday, a low pressure system will cross the country bring mild and wet weather.

By Wednesday next week, this low pressure system will become stalled over the North Sea for a few days which in turn will bring down cold air over Ireland. It doesn't mean it will be freezing but it will certainly feel cold.

In summary... this weekend should be nice so make the most of it. Next week will be a mixed bag but there will be plenty of dry spells to get a run in. The week starts mild but turns cooler midweek.

Weather 10-Day Trend: Fri 8th Jan 2021 to Sun 17th Jan 2021

The weather for the next few days will be dominated by a high-pressure system to the west of Ireland. This will keep things just above freezing on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th with a cold wind from a northerly direction.

The high-pressure area will gradually drift further south and by Sunday, the winds will change around the west which will introduce a slight rise in temperatures.

By Monday, this westerly breeze will pick up some moisture as it passes over the ocean resulting in much cloudier weather. With the clouds, the temperature will about rise reaching almost double figures in the process. This will feel much milder compared to the weather we've had for the last fortnight or so.

From Tuesday to Sunday next week, we'll be on the border of low pressure and wet weather to the north and high pressure and dry weather to the south. The result is that it will be a mixed bag. We're likely to get showers but nothing too significant. We're also likely to have some dry spells. The temperatures are likely to stay in the high single figures.

Weather for running... Obviously with the very low temperatures from Friday to Sunday morning, icy roads and footpaths may be an issue during the early morning. Next week, there will be plenty of opportunities to get some runs in.

Looking at the longer term, the jet stream is still meandering about us so there may well be more cold spells over the next few weeks. We've only another 9-weeks or so to get to the middle of March when the worst of the winter weather should be behind us.

Weather 10-Day Trend: Fri 1st Jan 2021 to Sun 10th Jan 2021

Located as we are on the edge of the North Atlantic, the Jet Stream above us plays a huge part in what type of weather we get. When the Jet Stream is strong and going in a straight line from West to East, it brings in a succession of low pressure weather systems from the North Atlantic.

At the moment however, it is twisting and looping which allows high pressure weather systems to dominate our weather.

Friday 1st of January 2021... The weather chart above for New Year's Day shows a high pressure system out in the Atlantic and this is dominating the weather for the next few days.

As the arrow shows, it is bringing Arctic air down from the North which is going to keep things bitterly cold. As the pressure is high, it is going to mean that rain is unlikely. With the air mass having to pass over the whole country before it gets to Cork, it will also likely mean that the moisture levels will be reduced and Cork may well see lots of sunshine.

This is likely to be the weather pattern for the rest of the weekend.

Monday 4th January 2021... By the time we get to Monday, the high pressure system will have gradually moved towards Scandinavia. This will mean that the winds will gradually change from the North to the East.

The important point here is the source of the air mass. This won't be like the 'Beast from the East' a few years ago when we have freezing cold air coming in from Siberia. This time around, the air is originating from around the Black Sea which is a milder region.

From about Monday until Thursday, it is likely to stay cold and dry. The long term forecast is for the weather to change at the end of the week but that is still a long way off.

Running Weather in Summary... The take home message is that it's going to good weather for running for the next week or so. Just wrap up well and make the most of it.

Just be careful of the roads and paths early in the morning as the temperature is likely to remain in low single figures and there will probably be a lot of frost and icy spots.

We have another 10-weeks to go until we get to mid-March and we put the winter weather behind us.

Looking ahead to the 2017 Dungarvan 10 mile road race...Sun 5th Feb 2017

The big race in Munster this weekend of course is the Dungarvan 10 mile road race and there are well over 1000 runners from Cork making the journey. This sold out months ago and the entry list can be seen HERE

First off, the weather forecast. The chart above says it all really. The disturbed weather of Saturday will have cleared by Sunday. The low pressure system which will bring wet weather on Monday will still be out in the mid-Atlantic. On Sunday, we will be between the two systems with a ridge of high pressure over the country.

It's likely to be dry and the winds will be light. The day will probably start off pretty cold with the temperature not far above 0 deg C. There is likely to be some Spring sunshine and by the start of the race, the temperature should be around 8 deg C. It will probably be mild enough for say a short sleeve top if you are racing. A long sleeve top perhaps if your aim is just to get around. It would be best to forget about jackets and/or multiple layers. If you feel slightly cold waiting for the start of the race then you are probably in the right gear.  looks a bit mixed.

Update....Sun 10am....Here is the satellite photo....Nice and sunny...

As for the wind, it's likely to be from the west and light. As it's coming overland as opposed to coming in from the sea, it should be weak enough in Dungarvan. Out on the course, it's likely to be a headwind between miles 3 and 5 but I'd expect it won't be a major factor.

As for the course, it is the same as last year. The preview can be seen  here... http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/03/waterford009.html

And finally, this is a photo of the dry fit top. In a previous post,  I had an image of it which suggested that perhaps it was dark orange or light brown. As you can see from the photo below, it seems to be more of a light orange colour.......or is it peach?

Weather forecast for the 2016 Cork City Marathon...

Weather forecast for the 2016 Cork City Marathon...(Updated Mon @7am)

With roughly 2 hours to go, the weather forecast is for hazy sunshine. This is the satellite photo at 7am which shows tenuous cloud cover over the country. There is a strip of cloud to the south which is showing up on rainfall radar. It might have some impact in the late morning. Warm start to the full and expect it to get warmer.

Weather.....Broken sunshine...chance of light rain later. It will probably feel very warm especially after 11am.

Temperatures.....15 deg C at about 9am getting up to a high of about 18 deg C in the early afternoon.
>>Which means that you shouldn't be wearing anything more than a pair of running shorts and a singlet or short sleeved dry fit top. It will be just too warm to wear anything more.

Wind......A light breeze from the south-east.
>>Which means that it is unlikely to be a factor. The most exposed spot will be along the walkway at the waters edge in Mahon but it's unlikely to be an issue.

Overall......The temperatures will be in the high teens and that is going to be a factor for those doing the half and the full. The heat will probably have an impact for most people doing the half and especially the full.

Looking ahead to the Mallow 10 mile road race...Sun 20th March 2016

The big race this weekend is of course the Mallow 10 mile road race.. With well over 1000 runners expected to descend on the North Cork town, it should be an excellent race.

The forecast shows a big high pressure system sitting over the country so there is going to be no major change in the weather. Expect the winds to be light and the weather dry. There isn't even a hint of rain forecast.

The temperature is expected to be around 10-12 deg C.....in other words, if you are racing it then just wear a singlet or a short sleeved dry fit top. Forget about the long sleeves or jackets. The wind is expected to come from the North-East...

Don't let the big yellow arrow fool you :o) The wind isn't that strong. It will probably be more of a gentle breeze that will be into your face from miles 2.2 to 4 and from 7.5 to the finish.

If the weather is sunny then it may well have a cooling effect when you are running into it and feel very warm when it's behind you.

More info from Mallow AC......

Pacers…Pacers from 60 to 90 minutes in 5 minute increments. Please use these as a guide as to where to line up in the starting corral based on your expected finish time.

Water…There will be 2 water stops on the course at approximately 4.2 mile and 7.5 mile. Water will also be available at the finish.

Chip Timing……The race is chip timed so take your time getting over the start line. Provisional times published will be gun time and the final results will have both gun and chip time.

Entry bib…If you haven’t received your number by now don’t worry. We will be able to give you a replacement. Mail us at mallow10milerace AT gmail DOT com and we will have a replacement ready for you on the morning at the help desk.

All the latest info and updates will appear here and on the race website... https://mallowtenmile.wordpress.com/

Weather Forecast for the Cork City Marathon...Mon 1st June 2015

Updated Mon @7am.....Intermittent rain forecast and increasing in frequency as the morning goes on. The worst weather after 12 noon.

Rain at 6:30am

1) It's going to be windy.
2) That wind will increase in intensity as the morning progresses with possibly very strong winds at about 1-2pm.
3) There will be rain but it's hard to say exactly when it will start in any particular location. 9am might be dry or it may be just starting. It's down to probabilities and the likely hood of it raining later are higher as the morning progresses.

Obviously the longer you are out there then the higher chances you have of getting wet.

1) RAIN.....Morning...Intermittent showers increasing in frequency as the morning goes on. Worst of the rain after 12 noon. The early afternoon will be very wet.

2) TEMPERATURE...The temperate will be in the low teens so fine for running. Not great if you get soaked though.

3) WIND...Note the centre of the low pressure system that will bring in all the rain is just off the west coast of Ireland. It is likely to be very windy with a strong south-westerly breeze. As the morning progresses, this will increase in intensity with possibly gale force winds around 1-2pm.

4) RELAY....For those doing the relay, then there are likely to be very different conditions for the person starting off and the person finishing. The first person may find conditions pretty goo. The last person may find them awful especially as they'll have to wait. Again, the main thing is how long the team os out on the course. The slower then the worse it will be.

The wind is likely to be a factor along these stretches...
a) Coming back from Blackpool...2.5m to 3.5m
b) Coming out of the tunnel and along the South Ring Road...7.8m to 8.7m
c) The walkway after Blackrock Castle...11.3m to 13m
d) From the Elysian out the Link Road.....17m to 18.7m

Other than that, it's going to be a cross wind for most of the course which won't help.

Looking ahead to the Mallow 10 race next Sunday 22nd Mar 2015

Just a quick look ahead to the Mallow 10 mile road race next Sunday the 22nd of March 2015.

Weather......The current forecast is that it will be a mild dry day with a gentle breeze from the south-west. Should be a mixture of clouds and sunshine. Conditions should be pretty good for running fast times although it may feel a little warm if there is a lot of sunshine. It's forecast to be about 10-12 deg C.

Almost certainly, you shouldn't be wearing layers of clothes. At the recent Ballycotton 10 race, it was obvious from the photos that some of the newer slower runners were wearing way too much. Full length leggings and jackets are a no-no. If you wear just enough so that you feel slightly cold at the start line then that's about right.

As you can see from the map above, the course is much the same as last year except that that start line is closer to race HQ while the finish line is further away.

The map below shows where everything is.....

You can find maps and a preview of the course here... http://munsterraceroutes.blogspot.ie/2013/01/cork002.html

All the info about pacers, chip timing, etc is up on the race website... http://mallowtenmile.wordpress.com/

Weather forecast for next Sunday...

With a band of high pressure over the country, it looks as if we will have dry weather for the Ballycotton '10' race next Sunday. It may be cloudy but it's not exactly clear yet.

Met Eireann say..."Both Sunday and Monday will remain dry with sunny spells in most areas though it will be cloudier in the south and west."

The pedicted temperature is 8 deg C.

The most important forecast in this instance however is the wind. At roughly 20 kms/hr and coming from the south-east, it is essentially behind the runners for the first half of the race. When we turn back for home around 5.5 miles, it will be a headwind all the ways to the finish.

Note that this wind is coming in off the sea and will feel cold. It's not an issue once you warm up and start running but it is when you are standing around before the start or walking back after the finish.

Weather forecast for the Mallow '10'...

The weather forecast for Sunday is looking reasonable at the moment. The only danger is that there may be a heavy frost on Saturday night but hopefully by noon, this will have cleared.

Saturday night: Scattered wintry showers will die out and the fresh and gusty southwesterly winds will veer northwesterly and ease. As skies clear and winds ease it will turn very cold and frosty with air temperatures below zero away from Atlantic coasts and as low as -4 or -5 degrees in many places with a severe ground frost and icy patches likely Saturday night and Sunday morning. Sunday: A cold, bright day with sunny spells and dry apart from isolated wintry showers. Highest temperatures only 2 to 6 degrees generally

If it gets to 5 deg C then that should clear any frost. There is a light West North-Westerly wind so hopefully freezing fog won't be an issue. For the race, we will be running into this light for roughly 2.5 miles (3.2 to 5.7 miles). It will be behind the runners for most of the last few miles.

Looking ahead to the weather for next weekend...Sat 11th Dec

The big events coming up next weekend are the Marathon & Half-Marathon in Clonakilty in West Cork and the Half-Marathon in Waterford. It's pretty obvious from talking to people that a fair number of runners from Cork will be doing one of these races.

The big question now of course is what will the weather be like for next Saturday and will all of the events go ahead?

The current forecast is that a high pressure system will establish itself near Ireland and will in effect block some of the cold polar winds that we have been getting for the last week to 10 days. It is predicted that a thaw will set in on Thurs and on Friday with temperatures up around 6 to 9 deg C. The weather for Saturday looks pretty good.....no rain....light winds and it may well be bright. The issue however is not the weather, it's really about the condition of the roads. Will there be snow / slush / ice / black ice on the roads?

Waterford.........The Waterford Half-Marathon route basically starts in the Waterford City, runs to Tramore on the coast and back again. This is a photo from RTE News of Tramore on Tuesday afternoon, the 7th of Dec.

Obviously if that gets compacted and freezes, it will take a while to thaw out. Parts of the route are on the hard shoulder of the main road and I presume that won't have been treated by the council?

The organisers Waterford AC have issued the following statement...
"Waterford AC are continuing to monitor the weather and road situation like everyone else in the country. We will make a final decision on Thursday at noon whether the run will go ahead or not on Saturday. We want the run to go ahead but safety is paramount and we will consult with the Guards whether they think it will be safe to proceed with race. Please bear with us. "

Clonakilty......the situation in Clonakilty is more promising in that it is probably an issue of whether there is ice on the roads or not. Met Eireann are forecasting the following for Friday night...."Frost will be confined mainly to southern and southeastern parts on Friday night ". With the race starting at 9am, there will be no time for the roads to thaw if there is ice.

Obviously it is a very difficult situation for the organisers of both events. Do they cancel or don't they? Hopefully the milder temperatures on Thursday and Friday will sort things out.
Keep checking for updates to make sure that these races are going ahead. There is no point wasting a long trip only to find that the race has been cancelled.

Weather forecast for the Dublin City Marathon - Mon 25th Oct 2010

With hundreds of Cork runners getting ready to make the annual pilgrimage to Dublin for the National Marathon, it's time to have a look at the weather forecast.

This is the predicted weather chart for next Monday, the 25th of October. Some weather fronts will pass over early on the weekend and the next low pressure system is expected to arrive late on Monday / early on Tuesday.

For Monday morning however, there will be a ridge of high pressure over the country with the low pressure systems to the east and west of us. That suggests the following weather.........no rain...skies may be clear....winds will be light. In fact, it seems as if the weather may well be similar to the last 2 years. If it turns out as expected, it will be perfect conditions for anyone hoping to run a good Marathon........no winds to worry about and cool enough so that you don't sweat too much.

Just one thing to watch though. If the skies are clear on Sunday night / Monday morning then it's likely to feel pretty cold before the start at 9am, certainly well down into single figures.

Met Eireann are predicting the following....."Sunday night will be dry with clear spells. It will be very cold with widespread and severe frost. It will be mainly dry on Monday but becoming cloudy as rain will push into the west by evening and cross the country overnight and into Tuesday."

It might be an idea to bring an old t-shirt to wear over your singlet or failing that, bring a bin liner. Put 3 holes in it....head and both arms...and you have a disposable jacket ;o)

Dispose of it once you warm up.

Update...Sun 24th Oct....With 24 hours to go, the forecast hasn't changed much. The rain may arrive earlier on Monday but it will probably be late evening by the time it hits Dublin.

Weather forecast for the 2009 Ballycotton 10...

A series of cold fronts are crossing the country on Sunday and it is likely that for the race, we will be in between 2 of them. That means that we are not likely to get persistent rain but there could be a lot of short showers. Whether we get rain for the race is really hit or miss. It's likely that it will be bright with even maybe some sunshine but the weather could change in 10 minutes. It will probably be one of those days where the sun is shining in one spot and 10 miles away, it's lashing out of the heavens. The one thing you can be absolutely sure about is that it is going to be windy! There will be a strong airflow that will be coming down from the Artic so it is going to be very cold as well.

So, what does that mean for the race?

Start...The start may not actually be too bad as we will have the protection of the hill to the west. Even still, it's going to be cold with the temperature down around 6 deg C. In the open, it will feel even colder.

0-5 Miles...Basically, we are running into the wind for the first 5 miles. Once you leave the village, the countryside is a lot more open and the wind may feel pretty raw here as you warm up. You can expect to lose time here with the strong wind.

5-10 Miles...The opposite applies. We have the wind to our backs for the last 5 or so miles. You won't however make up for the time you lost in the first half.

Once you finish, you are likely to get very cold very fast. Keep this in mind when you are deciding what to bring to the baggage area near the start/finish.

With luck, we might avoid the showers. If we do get some showers with that cold wind, then it will feel awful. If your pace is likely to be slow then consider wearing an extra layer or maybe a hat/gloves.

Fingers crossed we'll miss the showers...

Weather Forecast for the Dublin City Marathon...Mon 27th Oct (Updated Sun 26th 7am)

Now with 24 hours or so to go, this is the last weather forecast...

The forecast has improved since yesterday with low pressure system to the East moving away slightly. This has had the effect that the winds now over the East of Ireland have dropped off a fair bit. They still originate in the Artic so they are likely to be pretty cold, especially in open spots along the course. However, the winds will get slower as they cross the country and should be from the North West by the time it hits Dublin. Looking at the course, it might be a factor for the first few miles of the race and perhaps near the end.

Those 'blobs' on the map above signify passing showers which are typical after a cold front has passed through. It looks as if they will be worse up on the North coast and the West rather than in Dublin. At this stage if I had to make a guess, I'd say it will be a bright cold morning with a slight possibility of showers. Temp around 6 to 8 degrees. Winds - light North Westerly but it will feel cold where it is open along the course.

Met Eireann say "Monday will be cold and blustery, with a mixture of sunshine and showers. The showers will be heaviest and most frequent in the west and north, while parts of the east and south will remain dry."

So fingers crossed, it looks as if it might be a good one.

Weather forecast for the Cork Half-Marathon in Blarney...(Updated Sun 14th 9 am)

With about 2 hours to go, the forecast looks bleak. It now looks like that there will a slow moving warm front over the country. This is likely to bring peristent rain or drizzle rather than just showers. The current forecast from Met Eireann is that "Spells of heavy rain developing in the western half of the country this morning may lead to localised flooding. The rain will spread east as the day goes on"

This is the Infra Red image from this morning. The warm front is going to over the country for most of the day. I think you can safely forget about getting any sunshine during the race!!

Here is the rainfall radar at 8am. Persistent rain is now approaching from the South West and should be in Blarney for most of the race.

The temperature is expected to be a mild 15 deg C with a light breeze from the South. This means that the wind will be behind the runners for the first half of the race and into their faces for the 2nd half.

Comments...

"According to Metcheck http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp?zipcode=cork we are getting around 10mm of rain for the Half tomorrow - not going to stop me going though! :o).........Sean O'Mahony"

"Thanks for all the weather updates John. Pity its not going to be like last year...Just finished breakfast now and it dosent look too bad but its on the way.@sean that metcheck site is pretty good. Looks better than met.ie .Looking forward to the race now :-) ........Derek"

Weather Forecast for the Cork City Marathon & Relay - Mon 2nd June...

As we get closer to the event, I'll update this post here with the lastest weather forecast.

Updated...Sun 1st June - 6pm

Looks like on Monday, Ireland will be squeezed between 2 low pressure systems with a narrow ridge of high pressure over the country. The weak fronts either side of us will be closer tomorrow so that might introduce some cloud. It's likely to be dry and fine for the Cork City Marathon tomorrow. There may be some fog in the valleys but it will soon burn off. The skies will either be blue and clear or it will be slightly overcast. There should be no rain in the morning.

Winds are forecast to be very light, possibly from a South Westerly direction.
Temperatures are forecast to be in the high teens, possibly hitting the low 20's after midday.

It's going to be very warm for the Marathon, possibly the same as last year.

Weather Forecast for the Cork City Marathon - Looking ahead to Monday from Thursday 29th May.

We are still a bit far away to be any way accurate but the long term forecast is that it might be reasonable and dry. Sunny? Cloudy?..too early to say. Persisent rain looks unlikely. Winds look modest as well. It should get a good deal more accurate over the next few days.