Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Clontarf Half Marathon

Options
  • 09-11-2014 9:23pm
    #1
    Blue Steel
    Registered Users Posts: 64 ✭✭


    I know this is a flat course but from the pictures it looks congested.

    Is this a fast race?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    menoscemo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,915 ✭✭✭✭menoscemo


    Blue Steel wrote: »
    I know this is a flat course but from the pictures it looks congested.

    Is this a fast race?

    Unless conditions are perfect it is not a fast race IMO.
    There is generally a good bit of wind which can be especially felt on the beach and the out and back nature of the course means you can be running for 6 miles+ straight into a headwind. Also the sand on the beach is energy sapping and can be quite loose.

    On a windless day with tightly packed sand and good running temperatures it would be a fast course, but you might be waiting a long time for all the stars to align correctly.


  • Options
    #3
    Wubble Wubble
    Registered Users Posts: 2,601 ✭✭✭Wubble Wubble


    From someone who's done it 3 times (and will be lining up in the next one too)..

    I wouldn't say it's a PB course for your regular half marathon runner. The one HM I ran any way properly away from Clontarf, my time was 10 minutes faster! But that's just me (mid pack plodder) and several people reckoned my PB course (Carlingford 2014) was short...although not so short I wouldn't have beaten my other efforts regardless.

    Personally I enjoy running on and through the sand, but I appreciate it doesn't do much for a lot of folks on here. And to echo Meno, the second half can be particularly tough, especially if you're struggling with running demons anyway. There's always big numbers, so if guys start streaming past you on the run for home it can get a bit disheartening. It was my first HM (in July last year) and remains a big challenge for me, as I've yet to finish it strongly, and I think my course PB needs to improve significantly.

    Would I recommend it? Absolutely, yes!! Caveat being that if you want any kind of a decent time, you're going to have to fight for it. Best of luck!!


Advertisement