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Long flat off-road running near Dublin?

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    #32
    Murph_D
    Registered Users Posts: 10,426 ✭✭✭✭Murph_D


    Re Phoenix Park, you can extend by exiting at Islandbridge Gate and crossing over to Memorial Park and taking in the Liffey up to Chapelizod, where you can re-enter the park. Doesn't add a lot to the Park perimeter loop in terms of mileage but considerably varies the scenery. The Liffey path is very interesting, especially when there ar rowers on the river (i.e. often). You can easily do 20 miles in PP/Memorial without retracing much (if any) of the route.


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    #33
    belcarra
    Registered Users Posts: 3,759 ✭✭✭belcarra


    Murph_D wrote: »
    Re Phoenix Park, you can extend by exiting at Islandbridge Gate and crossing over to Memorial Park and taking in the Liffey up to Chapelizod, where you can re-enter the park. Doesn't add a lot to the Park perimeter loop in terms of mileage but considerably varies the scenery. The Liffey path is very interesting, especially when there ar rowers on the river (i.e. often). You can easily do 20 miles in PP/Memorial without retracing much (if any) of the route.

    To add even more to this you could exit at Ashtown gate and run to the canal thereby giving lots of path (approx 5km with only one road crossing x 2 directions) and even drop down to Tolka valley park for lots more km with no road crossings. Easy to go more than 40km+ without retracing your steps.


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    #34
    muddypaws
    Registered Users Posts: 3,601 ✭✭✭muddypaws


    I know its more than an hours drive, but if you fancied a nice day out, for an extra half an hour in the car, Lough Boora in Offaly has lots of flat trails, different surfaces, a great place to run.

    http://www.loughboora.com/plan-your-visit/visitor-information/maps-trails/


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    #35
    PaulieC
    Registered Users Posts: 6,190 ✭✭✭PaulieC


    brownian wrote: »
    Thanks to all who commented and contributed. I do of course agree that hills are fun - but training specifically for Donadea, with dodgy ankles, post-injury, I'm looking for flat, easy ground if it can be found. Given the distances I want to run, loops of 5K or less get less attractive. I just wanted to pull the responses into one post, for ease of re-use.

    The top suggestions, in no particular order, are

    - the canals. Not sure where to join the canals, or whether you can run for (say) 20k in any one direction, but worth looking at.
    - the coast, south from Greystones, optionally with the Bray Cliff Walk as a (high risk of walking, high beauty) extension
    - the Dodder. Not sure where to join the river, or whether you can run for (say) 20k in any one direction, but worth looking at.

    Other good places to run in south Dublin include
    - Kilboggett
    - Marlay
    - Shanganagh
    - the Dun Laoghaire piers (extending down to Bullock Harbour, Dalkey and so forth, as an option)
    - Bohernabreena

    Other options
    - Leopardstown Racecourse (maybe!)
    - Phoenix Park (but not very local for me, at least, and I think the longest loop is a bit less than 10 miles?)
    - St Anne's in Raheny (+Dollier and the Bull)
    - the Curragh (not local, but potentially a good option for longer runs, if there are off-road trails?)
    - Roundwood reservoir (10k, flat, but a solid half hour drive)

    Thanks again, folks.

    PS the Wicklow Way, Dublin Mountains Way, 3-rock etc etc are of course great options.

    Did you mean off-road as in on a footpath or off-road as in trails ? The canals and the Dodder are not trails, mostly tarmac paths.

    You can get on the Grand Canal at Grand Canal Street here (who woulda thunk?) and you can run pretty much as far as you want out and back. There are some roads to cross at the start, but you can keep on the path from Harold's Cross onwards pretty much.

    Royal Canal path starts at the Convention Centre, but only for about 500 yards. You then need to run down Seville Place/North Strand Road before joining it again. There are less roads to cross, from memory only at Drumcondra and Phibsborough. I've only gone as far as the M50 bridge, but the path continues...

    You can start on the Dodder path at Ringsend Bridge. It follows the river for the most part - there are a few sections, particularly around Donnybrook/Clonskeagh section. There are a few road crossings, but nothing too bad. Donnybrook is probably the worst. I've only gone as far as Rathfarnham from Ringsend, but there are a few parks along the path that you can add in a few laps.


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