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Cork or Belfast

  • 22-01-2009 12:45am
    #1
    jackegan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭


    Which is better course for a PB for the marathon, Cork or Belfast?
    All advice would be appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    belcarra
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,759 ✭✭✭belcarra


    I did both of them last year and set my own PB in cork and that was a week after doing Newry!
    (But beware as my PB was 4h 23m or thereabouts!)

    There should be a review of both races in the Marathon reviews section.

    Personally I def enjoyed Cork more. There is a long (approx 2.5 / 3 mile) uphill along the Antrim Road in Belfast and you pass through a dreary ind. estate for another 2 miles or so. The final 4 miles or so are quite nice.
    Cork, on the other hand I found to be fairly flat apart from a 1 mile uphill section around mile 20 but even that wasn't so bad.

    So to summarise, I prefer Cork but that may be more a personal thing than anything (I was working there for a year at the time). You could do both?? I think there's a month between the two...

    Best of luck with whichever you choose!


  • #3
    RICHIE-RICH
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭RICHIE-RICH


    Looking at the results, it looks like Belfast is a faster course. Winners in belfast do about a 2:16, whereas cork recent winners have been 2:27 and 2:33. Even accounting for differences in quality of runners, a ten minute gap is significant.
    The belfast course looks flat, with only one major hill, where as Cork is alos mainly flat, but has a good few "bumps". Perhaps that is the reason.
    Haven't done Belfast, but have done Cork, and being from Cork, I would say to do Cork!
    You get to run under the river, and down the longest straight road to the tallest building in the country, which is opposite the longest building in the land. How could you not do it????


  • #4
    --amadeus--
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,096 ✭✭✭--amadeus--


    Depends where you are coming from and the course you set your previous PB on, to an extent.

    I haven't run Belfast myself but I have heard that it's pretty flat but a dull enough course. There is a relay as well and I have heard complaints about congestion in previous years.

    Cork I have done, great race and a nice route - scenic and decent support. But it is Cork so there are a couple of hills. In particular there is a severe enough one on the way up to the Guide Dogs building that comes in around mile 18 or so that it really tough. It's just after a relay changeover as well so you get passed by all these uber fresh relay runners on the way up! There is the downhill after but that's followed by a very long, very straight road that again is quite tough - you're running but never seem to get nearer the end. Although there is a relay it's well managed and I had no congestion problems when I ran it.

    I know people who have PBd in Cork but it is (IMO) a tougher course than Dublin and significantly harder than the likes of Rotterdam / Paris / Berlin / Amsterdam. So on that basis I would go for Belfast.


  • #5
    buck65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,969 ✭✭✭buck65


    Looking at the winners in Cork they all seem to be local Irish runners, not such a stacked field as Dublin. Even a tough Marathon course would be a few minutes more for an elite runner. 2hr 27 eventhough a fantastic time for 99% of runners is a hard training pace for an elite runner regardless of the course.

    PS is there a restriction in numbers in Cork or will the entry do in late March? Not totally decided yet on running.


  • #6
    RoyMcC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭RoyMcC


    buck65 wrote: »
    PS is there a restriction in numbers in Cork or will the entry do in late March? Not totally decided yet on running.

    Cork seemed to be taking entries up until the day last year - I don't think numbers will be an issue. But no harm to keep checking the website.


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  • #7
    hunnymonster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,365 ✭✭✭hunnymonster


    --amadeus-- wrote: »
    ....that's followed by a very long, very straight road that again is quite tough -...
    But the volunteers at the water station at mile 22 on the straight road are the best out there ;)

    The Cork marathon has a lot more capacity than entries so, while I wouldn't leave it to the day before (for the organisers guessing goodie bag numbers etc) you should be fine to enter in March or so.


  • #8
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    I did a lot orf reading on Belfast before I decided to do it. From what I've read the course is ok some small hills but nothing to worry about , Last cople of mile you can be on your own but thats not a problem for me.

    There is talk that the relay change overs cause some problems for people in around the 3:30 + times but it depends what you want from the marathon. If you PB is going to be close to 3 hours i'd say you would be well clear of the bulk of the relay. For me I'm just getting around the course and not looking for anytime so I've no problme with this. Well come race day elbows out ;)


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