Of the three I would go with Illaunmanagh.
Thanks, I'll probably do that.
Of the two Limerick ones Mungret has a really nice cafe close to the finish line for a tasty post parkrun treat if that makes any difference. As already mentioned you have a sharp enough hill to be negotiated 3 or 4 times along with the corresponding sharp downhill all on smooth tarmac paths.
UL is a three looper with one section along by the river. It has a mix of gravel and concrete paths. There isn't really that much to separate either parkrun really imo. I haven't been to Illaunmanagh.
Had the pleasure of saying hello to the male and female world record holders, for the highest number of parkrun locations ran this morning. The female runner was doing her 450th different location in Donabate this morning, the bloke was finishing his 517th different location, another one of their group was doing his 600th run, and I ran with a lady who was doing her 80th different location.
They try and head off every weekend, they flew in from the UK this morning and were heading back this afternoon. Check out this morning's results, to see all of their different locations, even more remarkable, is that the male record holder has done nearly 200 volunteer runs, on top of over 600 runs.
I like a bit of parkrun tourism myself, but 517 different locations, I didn't even know there were that many.
That sounds like something that could get very expensive over time but is the kind of obsession I could easily buy into🤣🤣
I'd never give out about a parkrun, but none of those three would be my favourites at all. The best is probably Illaunmanagh. Newcastlewest which is also in Limerick is similar.
No Marley parkrun next week due to a dog event in the park.
New parkrun started in Fethard on Sat, three laps of what looks like a very new park as lots of building work still going on. Wishing them lots of success for the future.
I ended up getting a pb today and my first ever sub 23 min 5k which was a bit of a surprise as I started well back in the field and was intending to take it handy. 😃😃😃😃
Delighted with myself. My last pb was mid 2019
Did Hartstown on Saturday. Friendly bunch and a lovely park.
Portumna is celebrating its 150th event this weekend if anyone is in the South Galway/Upper Lough Derg area.
I did Wormwood Scrubs parkrun in London last Saturday, a smaller parkrun (avg. 61 runners per week, 100 there last week) but very enjoyable run and a very friendly bunch. It's just about a kilometre from East Acton tube stop on the central line so very convenient to get to. The whole course is on grass which is something I've only come across in parkrun a few times, there is nice pull in the course as well that you get to do twice over 2.5 laps so not a fast course but a good run. You can have a look (at the outside) of the nearby famous prison of the same name adjacent to the Wormwood Scrubs park.
Nick Griggs ran 14:15 at Belfast Victoria parkrun this morning, fastest ever time in Ireland.
joint 5th fastest ever worldwide as far I can make out
Joint 5th fastest UK course record.
Correction, I meant Waterstown. Hartstown and Navan were enjoyable and friendly too.
New Parkrun starting in Dodder valley park in Firhouse/Tallaght on November 5th, just saw South Dublin CC advertise it
Excellent. I run there regularly as it is. Wonder if Pearse Bros AC are getting involved with it.
Not on the parkrun site. Probably trying to keep it quiet to prevent being over run by inaugural hunters. There is another starting the same day, which is on the parkrun site but is more remote so tourists less likely to be an issue.
Where's the other one?
Mountbellew, Co Galway
My guess is Brothers Pearse but not sure, the park has had quite the revamp of late
Dodder Valley Parkrun is organised by SDCC in conjunction with somebody from the HSE. Brothers Pearse are not involved at all. We only found out about it , about 6 weeks ago. The course is very tough and the last mile is a gradual uphill all the way to the finish and generally into the wind. Good surface throughout the course.
I'm guessing it starts up by the new Basketball/tennis courts so. Does it go up over the "mound" across from Speaker Connolly? 😃 How far along the Dodder does it go?
Not over but around it. Sharp left after the bridge near it, along the Dodder path till you reach the end of the hill and then a very very sharp right back up past public car park and all the way back to Ahearnes. Will be a bit of contra flow for about 3/400 metres.
Excellent. I'm in Ballinasloe but I make the trip to Portumna because although Athlone is closer (and still will be) the Portumna route is more weather robust. Mountbellew is very doable.
Dodder parkrun course
Did no one tell them about the all lower case rule?
It's mad that there at 5 parkruns within 30 mins drive of Roscommon town but it doesn't have one. Especially as it's got quite a good running club. Couple of laps of the castle park would do it I think
Is Marley park run off tomorrow?
