Anyone ever run Royal or Grand Canal?

SnappyDresser

Was looking at running either the royal or grand canal during the spring. Anyone ever attempt or do it. I see a few people have walked it alright over a week but running it should be possible in 3 days perhaps?

robinph

I've not run more than a handful of miles back and forth along each of them, with whichever one goes through Lexlip being a better surface to run on at the points where I joined them. I think you can get guides online covering their distance from a driving a boat along them point of view, but that should also give useful information for doing it on foot.

RoyMcC

Used to run it (Royal Canal) regularly from town as far as Ashtown but never managed to penetrate the man-made obstacles beyond that. I'd love to run it all one day.

Orobhsa

Just back from 11 miles on the royal canal!

Only ever been as far as Maynooth. There is some info on waterways ireland about both. http://www.waterwaysireland.org/index.cfm

It suggests that the crusing time from Spencer Dock to Abbeyshrule (which I guess is the end of the main line) is about 18 hrs @ 4 knots (~4.5mph). There seems to be another section that goes from there to the Shannon. It's about 154km from Spencer Dock to the Shannon.

http://www.waterwaysireland.org/index.cfm/section/article/page/RoyalCanalNavigationInformation

meathcountysec

i008787 wrote: »

Was looking at running either the royal or grand canal during the spring. Anyone ever attempt or do it. I see a few people have walked it alright over a week but running it should be possible in 3 days perhaps?

Interesting site here:

http://walks.iwai.ie/royal/

Dutchie

I run along the grand canal all of the time. I find the surface very easy on the joints. I run from Hazelhatch (Celbridge/Newcastle) to Sallins.

ronnie085

Was thinking of doing this myself over the summer, just recieved this book, a little bit dated but has plenty of info from the bit i've looked at so far, well worth the couple of euro

onimpulse

Eoin Ryan that posts here a bit ran both a few years ago for charity.... might be worth asking him about it?

mithril

On the Royal Canal, there is a good quality tarmac track for about 7km West of Mullingar and a well trodden grass path in the opposite direction - both of which are very runnable.

I am planning to take the bus to Maynooth and run to Mullingar some time later in the year.

tang1

Just out of curiosity Mithril, whats the distance from Maynooth to Mullingar along the canal??

mithril

It's 59KM.
You reach Maynooth harbour at 26.45 and Mullingar harbour at 85.50 according to the distance table in the "Guide to the Royal Canal"

Fi H

The bit from Kilcock to Maynooth is really good surface would be quite quick to run!

911sc

I mapped the Grand Canal run a while ago.. from home to Shannon Harbour.

The Hammer

I am familiar with this route - but to run it you really need to plan ahead. There are very few, if any, parts of the Canal that have parallel stretches of "runnable" path on this part of the Canal. You could do with checking with the locals (at the many pubs/houses located at almost every major road crossing/bridge. Mullingar to the Kinnegad region is probably the best with tar/gravel path maintained very well the whole way.

mithril

The Hammer wrote: »

I am familiar with this route - but to run it you really need to plan ahead. There are very few, if any, parts of the Canal that have parallel stretches of "runnable" path on this part of the Canal. You could do with checking with the locals (at the many pubs/houses located at almost every major road crossing/bridge. Mullingar to the Kinnegad region is probably the best with tar/gravel path maintained very well the whole way.

Thanks.
I am familiar with the section around Mullingar and I was hoping it was of similar quality as far as Dublin. The old N4 runs parallel with the Canal most of the way and is now not nearly as busy since the M4 was finished. I might have to use it as an alternive route a bit more than I hoped.

eoin ryan

onimpulse wrote: »

Eoin Ryan that posts here a bit ran both a few years ago for charity.... might be worth asking him about it?

Hi,

Lovely run. Took me 6 days to do both

What would you like to know?

E