Carlow Park Run?

derailed

Just thought I'd throw this one out. At the moment there are 22 different 5km Park Runs held across Ireland with the first event being held in 2012 with over 700 events having been held since then with up to 2,000 participants now taking part every Saturday morning at 9.30 am. Having run this myself on numerous occasions across Dublin and seeing the benefits it brings, it would be a great boost to the local area given the very active running community here. The Park Run has the advantages of being free to enter once you have registered once with timing and results online within hours while also giving runners/joggers/walkers the satisfaction of being able to volunteer and help out in this initiative. Anyhow any thoughts? And secondly any ideas on possible venues in Carlow? For further info see parkrun.ie

tommycahir

derailed wrote: »

Just thought I'd throw this one out. At the moment there are 22 different 5km Park Runs held across Ireland with the first event being held in 2012 with over 700 events having been held since then with up to 2,000 participants now taking part every Saturday morning at 9.30 am. Having run this myself on numerous occasions across Dublin and seeing the benefits it brings, it would be a great boost to the local area given the very active running community here. The Park Run has the advantages of being free to enter once you have registered once with timing and results online within hours while also giving runners/joggers/walkers the satisfaction of being able to volunteer and help out in this initiative. Anyhow any thoughts? And secondly any ideas on possible venues in Carlow? For further info see parkrun.ie

Would love if there was one especially as the next closest is Kilkenny.unfortunately can't think off hand of any suitable locations..

byhookorbycrook

Oakpark?

tommycahir

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Oakpark?

Not sure the paths around it are really suitable for running on... You'd do an ankle.very easily on.them... Not sure that you can use roads for parkrun but am open to correction..

byhookorbycrook

That means no Altamont either then.

fits

I think oak park is a lot better since they rectified the paths. Twas lethal slippery before.

derailed

Thought about this again. The main issue is location as a road run wouldn't be suitable for this kind of event. Oak Park could possibly be a venue but the 5km distance would need to be factored in along with the viability of using the paths and a wide starting point. There's a park run in Laois that has a point to point and back run by grand canal- could something similar happen along stretches of the barrow track?

derailed

Or anywhere in County Carlow?

blindside88

Ducketts grove could suit, if the gates were opened it'd incorporate the woods. You'd need a few laps but it could be an option

strawberrie

Up around Teagasc research centre and Oak Park House would be lovely if was allowed!

derailed wrote: »

Thought about this again. The main issue is location as a road run wouldn't be suitable for this kind of event. Oak Park could possibly be a venue but the 5km distance would need to be factored in along with the viability of using the paths and a wide starting point. There's a park run in Laois that has a point to point and back run by grand canal- could something similar happen along stretches of the barrow track?

PeteFalk78

Castlecomer Discovery Park - nearly Carlow.

tommycahir

@derailed

Any further thought/progress on this?

racso1975

Saw signs up around the strawhall industrial estate saying 10k and 5k run in oak park at end of month

tommycahir

racso1975 wrote: »

Saw signs up around the strawhall industrial estate saying 10k and 5k run in oak park at end of month

I reckon that they are for http://www.popupraces.ie/ who hold a 5/10KM race in Oak Park every few weeks.

Laois_Man

Other than what's already mentioned, the trail at Rathwood is about 5KMs long I think (closeish anyway). Decent surface....could be suitable....and no doubt Rathwood would love the arrival of people every Saturday morning, many of whom would spend money there.

Having said that, technically it's in Co. Wicklow and the Kilkenny Parkrun would be easier to get to for much of Carlow people - even if the distance is a little more.

tommycahir

Just wondering if there was any progress on this especially in light of government funding now for €100,000 allocated for Parkrun..

http://health.gov.ie/blog/press-release/healthy-ireland-providing-e100000-in-funding-to-parkrun-in-new-partnership-deal/

SligoBrewer

I'll soon be moving down to Carlow and would like to add to the masses who would like a local parkrun. It's an amazing initiative and is truly community driven.

derailed

If some of the government funding towards the parkrun were directed in the Carlow direction maybe some new stretches of wider/safer paths in Oak Park Forest Park could allow for enough loops for a 5km distance?

1) Each Parkrun costs some €7,000 to set up (one off cost for equipment, etc). The Parkrun organisation itself may fund 50% of this leaving any local organising group to find €3,500.

2) There may be grants available from local sports partnerships.

3) Apart from that the main requirement is to have a location off the road with reasonable paths/tracks of 1-2.5 km laps. The main issue in Carlow is finding a suitable location beyond the initial expenditure involved.

Clare in Exile

Does anyone know if there has been any progress on a Carlow run? Moved down to the area from Dublin, used to do the Marlay Park run and would love to have the same thing down here. Surely it's only a matter of time that Carlow gets one?

EmoCourt

Resurrecting this thread with my own two cents. The Killenard Hotel in Laois developed a walking/running track around the boundaries of their Golf course a few years ago. It's a about 8 foot wide and fenced off from the Course. It has lights all along it for the winter and you pay a yearly fee to get access to it. It's sometimes used for sponsored walks for fundraising. It's a fantastic facility and very safe, with a good surface for running. I don't see why one of the local Golf clubs in Carlow couldn't examine the feasibility of such a track too. They could make money from it.

iano.p

EmoCourt wrote:

Resurrecting this thread with my own two cents. The Killenard Hotel in Laois developed a walking/running track around the boundaries of their Golf course a few years ago. It's a about 8 foot wide and fenced off from the Course. It has lights all along it for the winter and you pay a yearly fee to get access to it. It's sometimes used for sponsored walks for fundraising. It's a fantastic facility and very safe, with a good surface for running. I don't see why one of the local Golf clubs in Carlow couldn't examine the feasibility of such a track too. They could make money from it.

I think eire og have done this a few years ago not sure how much. But i know two girls from work walk there during winter because it's safe

IamMankind

Sorry if this is the worng place to post this question can someone tell me are EireOg & St LawrenceO'Toole are open to the public to go walking around or do you have to be members of the clubs all I want to do is walk no bootcamps or gyms.

Laois_Man

IamMankind wrote: »

Sorry if this is the worng place to post this question can someone tell me are EireOg & St LawrenceO'Toole are open to the public to go walking around or do you have to be members of the clubs all I want to do is walk no bootcamps or gyms.

Anyone can walk around Eire Og. For SLOT, you need to be a member but being a member doesn't oblige you to participate in bootcamps or anything.

Note also, Rathwood near Tullow now has a Parkrun every Saturday morning which is another good place to go walking (anytime)

Agent Coulson

Has anyone done the ParkRun up and down the Barrow Track?

http://www.parkrun.ie/carlowtown/course/

iwillhtfu

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Has anyone done the ParkRun up and down the Barrow Track?

http://www.parkrun.ie/carlowtown/course/

Yes it's a nice run. Technically not a park I'm not sure how they got astound that one but well organised and timed so you can see your improvements. All sorts from kids to walkers joggers runners club runners. Every Sat morning 👍

Agent Coulson

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Yes it's a nice run. Technically not a park I'm not sure how they got astound that one but well organised and timed so you can see your improvements. All sorts from kids to walkers joggers runners club runners. Every Sat morning 👍

Awesome glad to see one in the town hopefully I'll get along to a run soon.

iwillhtfu

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Awesome glad to see one in the town hopefully I'll get along to a run soon.

You should do it's great as everyone's out to beat their own times and running in a group environment gives you targets to aim for

Agent Coulson

iwillhtfu wrote: »

You should do it's great as everyone's out to beat their own times and running in a group environment gives you targets to aim for

Well I say run it will be more like a walk for me for a while anyway :P