2nd marathon

Nkerr241

I am trying to decide which marathon to enter in 2016. I ran the Dublin marathon in 2014 and would love to run it again but my friends wedding on the day of so have to look elsewhere.

I ran the Dublin one in 4:14 and would love a sub 4hr finish so would just like a bit of feedback about which course in Ireland people would recommend.

Based on other posts cork or Belfast could be good choices?? Any advice is welcomed

TFBubendorfer

Nkerr241 wrote: »

I am trying to decide which marathon to enter in 2016. I ran the Dublin marathon in 2014 and would love to run it again but my friends wedding on the day of so have to look elsewhere.

I ran the Dublin one in 4:14 and would love a sub 4hr finish so would just like a bit of feedback about which course in Ireland people would recommend.

Based on other posts cork or Belfast could be good choices?? Any advice is welcomed

I only did Belfast once and hated it, though that was a long time ago. Out of the 2 I'd very much recommend Cork.

There's plenty of other very good marathons around as well, though. What time of the year have you got in mind?

ncmc

Nkerr241 wrote: »

I am trying to decide which marathon to enter in 2016. I ran the Dublin marathon in 2014 and would love to run it again but my friends wedding on the day of so have to look elsewhere.

I ran the Dublin one in 4:14 and would love a sub 4hr finish so would just like a bit of feedback about which course in Ireland people would recommend.

Based on other posts cork or Belfast could be good choices?? Any advice is welcomed

My one reservation about Cork is it can be very warm and because you've done all your training in colder months, it can be a bit of a shock to the system. I did Cork in 2013 and it was one of the first hot days of that glorious summer and I felt it really affected my run. Other than that the course is quite nice, no really hairy hills that I can remember anyway!

loudymacloud

Cork is a good one to do, did it a few years ago, it lashed rain for the whole thing...i loved it

it would be a decent one to do if you are trying to break the 4hr mark, as ncmc just posted it is pretty flat and they do have good pacers.

the race you do depends on the time of year you want to do it. you were looking to do Dublin, so that gives you plenty of time to get trained up for that

Cork is in June, still gives you plenty of time to train, but if you were looking for somethin nearer the Dublin timeframe there is Longford, which is flat or you could be brave or reckless and do Dingle, fantastic course, but lots of hills so might not suit your sub 4hr needs.

Murph_D

ncmc wrote: »

My one reservation about Cork is it can be very warm and because you've done all your training in colder months, it can be a bit of a shock to the system. I did Cork in 2013 and it was one of the first hot days of that glorious summer and I felt it really affected my run. Other than that the course is quite nice, no really hairy hills that I can remember anyway!

Not a problem this year! :pac:

Fabulous marathon - one of the nice things is the smaller scale, and the tremendous variety of the course, which ranges from downtown to tunnels to seafront paths to disused railway lines to parkland, countryside and back to urban again. Plus the concurrent relay race and half marathon (which some find distracting) keeps the field replenished with fresh runners to pace yourself against as the going gets tough.

Highly recommended by me anyway. Wouldn't agree that it's any flatter than Dublin - some serious drags in the second half especially.

ncmc

Murph_D wrote: »

Not a problem this year! :pac:

That's just it, it seems to always be either splitting the stones or pouring rain! Felt very sorry for anyone doing it this year, it was an absolute dog of a day.

TFBubendorfer

Murph_D wrote: »

Wouldn't agree that it's any flatter than Dublin - some serious drags in the second half especially.

I've run Cork 7 times. I must have missed those serious drags every time.

The biggest climb comes at mile 8 when you climb out of the tunnel. There are a few hills in the second half but none of them "serious".

ClashCityRocker

Murph_D wrote: »

Wouldn't agree that it's any flatter than Dublin - some serious drags in the second half especially.

I'm sure the running in Cork blog did some analysis of this previously and found that Cork was overall a little bit flatter than Dublin. There wouldn't be a huge amount in it though

ncmc

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I've run Cork 7 times. I must have missed those serious drags every time.

The biggest climb comes at mile 8 when you climb out of the tunnel. There are a few hills in the second half but none of them "serious".

I would agree with this, I didn't find there was any serious drags other than coming out of the tunnel and the slip road up to Mahon. Both nothing bad at all. I found the toughest part was along the old railway path. It's a very narrow spot and I found it very claustrophobic.

Nkerr241

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I only did Belfast once and hated it, though that was a long time ago. Out of the 2 I'd very much recommend Cork.

There's plenty of other very good marathons around as well, though. What time of the year have you got in mind?

Any time from summertime onwards really!! And I'm very open to other courses. I know Longford is very flat so would b good for time but would like to do a marathon that has a bit of atmosphere/crowds. Any other courses you would recommend??

Murph_D

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I've run Cork 7 times. I must have missed those serious drags every time.

The biggest climb comes at mile 8 when you climb out of the tunnel. There are a few hills in the second half but none of them "serious".

Apologies for the hyperbole, looking back at the trace you're right. Its funny the way the mind works. I didn't feel the tunnel at all, thought the railway line was very nice (probably because it provided so much cover). I remember quite a pull just before the 20 mile mark alright, but maybe that's because I didn't feel the earlier one.

The point is, it's a great marathon.

Dub13

I have done Dublin twice and Belfast once, I did not really enjoy Belfast it just does not have the same buzz. The relay does not help, but I suppose there would be less people out for it if it was just the marathon.

TFBubendorfer

pac_man wrote: »

The consensus I get from the thread is that there's not much difference between Cork and Dublin in terms of the course difficulty.

A couple of questions in relation to Cork:

1- Waterbottles or cups?
2- What's the support like on the course?
3- Would there be many runners in a sub 3 pace group?
4- Over the years, what was the weather like?

1. yes they have water in bottles
2. Dublin is by far the best as far as support from the sidelines is concerned. No other race in Ireland comes even close. Cork is the next best, but a long way behind Dublin. Most other races are ... lonely.
3. The sub-3 group in Cork would be substantial enough.
4. They've had heat, lashing rain, one year of a miniature hurricane and a few years of more or less normal weather. There is no way of predicting it in advance.

Last year you were fine if you finished under 3:30, any longer than that and you got a good soaking over the last few miles.

Yes, the difficulty of the courses is similar. Cork is a tad easier but it really does not make much of a difference.

Ncmc found the old railway path claustrophobic. Just goes to show - I love that section, it is one of my favourite sections in all the marathons I've done.

tHE vAGGABOND

Connemara is my favourite Irish race after Dublin - just throwing it out there as an option! I think its 70 quid, and for that you get transfers to and from Galway city, water and jacks on course, food at end bla bla..

Why do marathons all have to be flat and easy? Can they not have a few hills and world-class scenery

TFBubendorfer

tHE vAGGABOND wrote: »

Connemara is my favourite Irish race after Dublin - just throwing it out there as an option! I think its 70 quid, and for that you get transfers to and from Galway city, water and jacks on course, food at end bla bla..

Why do marathons all have to be flat and easy? Can they not have a few hills and world-class scenery

It's one of my favourite races as well but the OP wanted a race where he/she can improve their time from 4:14 to sub-4. A flat race makes that a lot more likely.

If goal time isn't a factor I'd recommend Dingle as well. Similar to Connemara, not a PB course but the scenery is world class.

Amadeus 2014

And just to throw the cat properly among the pigeons you don't *have* to stay local - there are a whole world of great races a Ryanair flight away.

If you are looking for a fast well supported race in or around the same time as Dublin there are two great options in Berlin and Amsterdam.

I had a bit of a 'mare in Berlin but there are very, very few races that come close in atmosphere. Over a million demented Berliners line the route banging away on pots and pans, loads of music a great post race party and trust me there is nothing in the world like running down the main street in central Berlin with grandstands full of people cheering you as the cross the finish line under the Brandenburgh Gate. Course is flat and designed for PBs.

Amsterdam is smaller, both in terms of runners and support but is one of fave races. You start and finish in the Olympic stadium and coming in the gate onto the track with crowds supporting you guarantees that you will find an extra little kick on the last few hundred yards. Nice route by the canal and through some parks as well and usually decent weather.

That said I'd do Cork again if you do want to stay local, well organized race and friendly