parkrun, lap two

flazio

<edit> Just do you and be kind.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123518939#Comment_123518939

100%

flazio

I am sorry for my previous comments. Working and training hard to get the best possible time at any chosen event is very commendable and none of my business. Going forward I will keep my head down and stay down.

CassieManson

Marlay parkrun off now until 12 July due to concerts

BP_RS3813

St Annes is returning next week.

nice bit of green

I quite like seeing the St Annes crowd come to Father Collins. Boosts the numbers, different faces, more people to challenge myself against.

BP_RS3813

Was there there 2 weeks ago and got a PB - a friend agreed to pace me. Its a nice one - don't like the sharp right then left hairpin though, drops the pace right down.

I almost prefer St Annes (My regular - 50/70 of my parkruns are at St Annes I think) hill to Fr Collins as there is no sharp turns and you can keep momentum.

On the other hand St Annes numbers can be a bit of a pain in the arse. Was running it one week and on my second lap as I was lapping some of the slower walk/joggers I thought I had a gap but as soon as I was about to go through they came shoulder to shoulder and I had to apply the brakes pretty fast.

In that regard I like Fr Collins as there is a few to work off whilst still there is no congestion.

Us St Annes regulars often boost the numbers alright though.

Went to Darndale for a change yesterday as its close enough that I can jog up for a warmup - always a huge shock seeing only 20 or so even though I've done it before once or twice and know numbers can be even lower when St Annes isn't boosting it.

nice bit of green

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123525821#Comment_123525821

That right & left is awful, just go straight over the grass. You still make the full 5k and keep the momentum.

opus

Impressive numbers - Half a million people are registered for parkrun in Ireland

BP_RS3813

How many attendees though? I remember reading that 11 or 12 million world wide have registered but if you look at attendance world wide its only a fraction of that number. 11 or 12 million are not running or volunteering each week.

opus

All the attendance/volunteer stats are here.

mindhorn

Do the parkruns in general tend to kick off bang on time? Thinking of warming up beforehand and then rocking up for half 9 on the dot.

crisco10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123568892#Comment_123568892

usually pretty well between 0931 and 0934 window.

depends how chatty the run director is

BP_RS3813

Depends on numbers too.

Reg'stoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123568892#Comment_123568892

Don't take this as personal against you, more of a general observation, but I do think it's respectful of the run director, to be there for their brief. For instance, yesterday Donabate had a spot on course where someone has smashed a couple of bottles, brief warned runners to keep an eye out, also it's nice to applaud any milestones and the volunteers. The set-up volunteers would have been there early and marshals will be there late.

mindhorn

Fair point! So 9:15 or so should be plenty of time. Just want to get some sort of a half decent warm up in as would like to go for a PB.

The Black Oil

A while ago, Malahide started moving things along at 9:20 to kick off at 9:30.

CassieManson

Just wondering if anyone has done River Valley parkrun? Is it very hilly? The website refers to the "famous" River Valley hill!

diceyreilly

Do it every week.
Its a juicy hill. Have to do it twice. Around 1.2k and the 4k mark.
i dont find it difficult the first time but legs do be absolutely hanging the 2nd time round.
only hard part of the course.

BP_RS3813

Depends on what you are comparing it too. River valley is bad but nowhere near the worst in terms of difficulty.

Ardgillan would be the worst in the greater Dublin area in my opinion.

Avondale is meant to be pretty tough - they hold the odd XC there too, meant to be a nasty hill.

Likes of St Annes has a small hill twice but not too bad. Darndale has a tiny tiny incline but your up and over it in 2/3 seconds so not that bad.

Fr Collins/Poppintree/Malahide would be the fastest and flattest that I'm aware of.

Reg'stoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123593372#Comment_123593372

It's a short hill but steep, gradual incline before it and once over it another little incline. Live local and yes Ardgillan is tougher, if you want to max out your HR, Ardgillan's finish is the place to do it.

flazio

Castleblayney returns this weekend

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLjte5ItG9H/?igsh=OXVwZ3E0bm1xc3A0

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123526431#Comment_123526431

😱 The horror!

flazio

Happy to report that Uni of Galway have a much better and more scenic course. The field laps are gone and instead you swing left instead of right onto the river side path, run to the spot where Menlo castle is opposite, turn back, do all the river track, go further beyond the old turn back point, turn at the new one and straight back to the finish funnel.

Butterbeans

Heading to Monaghan Town parkrun in the morning. Anyone here ran it before? I see it's a 2 lapper, many hills I wonder!

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123670418#Comment_123670418

PT Tim (miss his videos) did the course a couple of years ago, no changes since that I've heard of.

https://youtu.be/ZByE1TkORfc?si=ZYddCkW-MQIF80XV

flazio

New event alert for next month. Co Mayo.

https://www.parkrun.ie/tourmakeadywood/

I think I visited that park a few years ago, might give Knocknacree a run for its money as Ireland's toughest parkrun.

corcaigh07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123672920#Comment_123672920

I’d argue for Castlehaven in terms of toughest parkrun but I’ve only done Knocknacree the once so might be wrong.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123672938#Comment_123672938

Tommy Owens would probably be the man to settle that seeing as he's turned his 5k app map all green for the island. I've not done either but of the 42 I have tried, Oranmore is one of the toughest. Those hills just keep going.

BP_RS3813

I've heard Avondale is pretty bad in terms of difficulty. Granted I was only ever up there once to watch a masters XC race, never did the parkrun but supposedly a few trails and a massive hill according to a friend.