half marathons

Tommy Max

What would be the best half marathons to target next year for a PB?

And where are the toughest? ive heard dingle followed by connamara?

Ray Donovan

For PB
Galway Bay
Mullingar on St Patrick’s Day
Lough Boora Co Offaly (usually Easter Sunday)

If you wanna give a PB a lash before end of year Portalington is pretty flat IIRC

gaz wac

Clonfarf is meant to be the flattest half in the country.

Tommy Max

Ray Donovan wrote: »

For PB
Galway Bay
Mullingar on St Patrick’s Day
Lough Boora Co Offaly (usually Easter Sunday)

If you wanna give a PB a lash before end of year Portalington is pretty flat IIRC

Thanks. i did mullingar on patricks day two years ago. was a flat course but horrible day and a gale of a head wind on the canal stretch for home was an absolute killer. was possibly the toughest few miles i did in a half purely down to the wind. probably a great course on a good day.

Ray Donovan

gaz wac wrote: »

Clonfarf is meant to be the flattest half in the country.

Running on a beach wouldn’t help the chances of a PB!

RayCun

Charleville is generally reckoned to be the fastest

jhammer

Clontarf is tough on the beach and the wind can be brutal depending on the day.

Killarney is downhill for 7 or 8 miles then evens out which is the hardest part but you can definitely make up time running downhill.

Pink11

Ray Donovan wrote: »

Running on a beach wouldn’t help the chances of a PB!

Not sure if it's me but every year without fail it's my worst & slowest half.

Whether it's the heat, the wind on the beach or having to loop back and do the same part of the course twice but I've never had a good day at the Clontarf half. Twisted my ankle last year in the sand and was out for a few weeks.

I won't be doing it again even though it's very handy location for me.

Running Fool

Pink11 wrote: »

Not sure if it's me but every year without fail it's my worst & slowest half.

Whether it's the heat, the wind on the beach or having to loop back and do the same part of the course twice but I've never had a good day at the Clontarf half. Twisted my ankle last year in the sand and was out for a few weeks.

I won't be doing it again even though it's very handy location for me.

Yeah I don't wanna run a race down as I've done and probably will do Clontarf again but that flattest race in Ireland tag is misleading as regards your time, other factors will slow you. I live in the area and it is very rare that it's not windy one way, yet you don't feel the benefit of the wind behind you coming back. Also plenty of days the wind seems to be blowing both ways. Mad!

Pink11

Running Fool wrote: »

Yeah I don't wanna run a race down as I've done and probably will do Clontarf again but that flattest race in Ireland tag is misleading as regards your time, other factors will slow you. I live in the area and it is very rare that it's not windy one way, yet you don't feel the benefit of the wind behind you coming back. Also plenty of days the wind seems to be blowing both ways. Mad!

I wasn't sure if it was a mental block but even my training runs along the area never seem to go plan either. I thought I was cursed

wookiesleep

Did the Dune Half Marathon this year and can't recommend it enough. It's a tough challenge climbing out of Newry. Mightn't be the hardest in the country overall but definitely a good challenge.

I think that Achill half has a good reputation for difficulty. No experience myself though.

In terms of Clontarf this would be a favourite not so much for ease but for the challenge with the wind on the beach.

highlandcow

Wexford half is fairly quick despite being a net uphill course. I wouldn't run clontarf again if I was looking for a pb, like others have said, beach and wind don't make for a good time.

Working class heroes

By a long shot Charleville is the race you want. Very fast course, very well organized, high standard/depth of runner and pacers at 5 min intervals.

ThebitterLemon

Galway Bay half probably the flattest half I've run, two loops including stretches on the prom, not many inclines at all.

TbL

MY BAD

I miss the Athlone Flatline half, it was always around this weekend. A brilliant race

Ray Donovan

If memory serves Bohermeen is a fast course to. Was my quickest HM this year out of the 8 I ran to the best of my knowledge!!

Paddy1234

Does anyone know what the Waterford one in December is like?

RayCun

Paddy1234 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the Waterford one in December is like?

It's a good race. Nice course, decent field, well organized. I ran it last year, I'd run it again.

If you search this forum there are threads on all of the races mentioned above.

OOnegative

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

I miss the Athlone Flatline half, it was always around this weekend. A brilliant race

Seen somewhere, Facebook maybe, it might be returning.

Supercell

Paddy1234 wrote: »

Does anyone know what the Waterford one in December is like?

Out of the five halves I've done (not a huge amount I'll admit) it was my favourite one last year. Lovely course in beautiful countryside. Wouldn't have said it was a PB course more of a interesting/nice one, have run flatter ones.
Clontarf sands deffo not a PB course but one for the bucket list as its interesting in a masochistic way!

Sunny Dayz

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

I miss the Athlone Flatline half, it was always around this weekend. A brilliant race

Their facebook page was active only the other week. It would be great if they brought it back. I had planned on running it before it was cancelled. Did the 10km and that was a lovely route along the Shannon.

Mint Sauce

Mellow Yellow 26.2 wrote: »

I miss the Athlone Flatline half, it was always around this weekend. A brilliant race

Was that described at the Flattest half in the country at the time? Did the Ballina Half a year later quicker!

OOnegative

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Was that described at the Flattest half in the country at the time? Did the Ballina Half a year later quicker!

Maybe you were fitter a year later!!

purelike

The Charleville Half by a country mile.



Well organized. Deep field. Flat. Pacers at 5min intervals starting at 80 mins. Inland and sheltered so less wind interference. At a cooler time of the year.

Seannew1

Ray Donovan wrote: »

Running on a beach wouldn’t help the chances of a PB!

Add to that, the wind which is smack bang in your face for the second half. Not a PB course!

sideshowbob321

Seannew1 wrote:

Add to that, the wind which is smack bang in your face for the second half. Not a PB course!

Totally agree ran it once and no desire to do it again !

rm75

Ray Donovan wrote: »

If memory serves Bohermeen is a fast course to. Was my quickest HM this year out of the 8 I ran to the best of my knowledge!!

Yep, PB there. Those Meath races are all great value and well organised.

bobwilliams

I really enjoyed Limerick and that's where I did my pb

Ray Donovan

That never ending stretch up the North Circular Road this year really did my head in!!

Swashbuckler

Ray Donovan wrote:

That never ending stretch up the North Circular Road this year really did my head in!!

Lest we not forget the brutality of the hill up Ennis road after all that

bobwilliams

Swashbuckler wrote:

Lest we not forget the brutality of the hill up Ennis road after all that

My pb was about4 years ago and the only hill I remember was the one up around Thomond park...I presume they've changed the route??