Phoenix park/polo grounds at night?

ooter

Never done it myself before but as the dark evenings close in I'm considering heading in to the park this winter for my runs, I do most of my training on grass now so would probably head for the polo grounds.
Does anyone else on here train up around there in the dark and if so how safe do you find it?
I use the trails a lot also along Blackhorse avenue//castleknock but couldn't see myself running along them at night. :eek:

ArtieFufkin

Done it a few times in the dark. Bear in mind that the back road is closed at the moment for an event connected to the zoo. Shouldn't be a problem if you prefer grass anyway and there will be less doggers around so that's a bonus.
You might want a head torch, there are some hard to see bumps that are hard to see on the oval that most runners use.

ooter

Cheers, yeah I'd definitely be using a head torch.

rooneyjm

Running in the park Tuesday and Wednesday night, no issues. Straight down the main road from castleknock, out the main gate left at manor st and straight back up. Plenty out running in the dark and it's not a dark as you might think with lamps and traffic.

RacoonQueen

Have run in there at night on my own but would have stuck to the main road if on my own. Used to run in there in the dark with the club as well up by the s-bends until they stopped doing that route because it ''wasn't safe''. It was perfectly safe.

Peregrinus

Used to run regularly in the dark in Phoenix Park (in the Fifteen Acres, early morning rather than late at night) until one time I realised I had run into the middle of a herd of sleeping deer, which I could hear stirring and snorting all around me. Recalled that deer are generally only aggressive in the rutting season, and then realised that I had no idea when the rutting season was. Didn't know whether I would get out from the herd quicker by continuing on or by turning back.

I kept going, and got out the other side with my virtue intact. But I didn't go running in the Park in the dark again.

ooter

Yeah I wouldn't be going near the 15 acres in the dark, a lot of the deers congregate around there.
I've been along chesterfield Ave as it's getting dark and it's well lit alright but I'm looking for a grassy area to train on and the polo grounds seem ideal. I know there's grassy stretches along most of chesterfield Ave but they're very slopey.