Facilities

This course, located in the western suburbs of Dublin city, is easily accessed by public bus with many routes running close to the park. The park is surrounded by houses so it is well located for locals, and for those from further afield there is a large car park not too far from the start line. There are toilets available, but only open at 10 a.m. it seems. There are no changing facilities.

Course

There is an unusual shape to this course, almost like two petals on a flower. There are two separate loops: the first goes off to the left from the start line and the second goes over to the right hand side of the start line such that it loops back on itself. It’s a nice design because once you start coming back to the finish line on the second loop it’s easy to gauge how much of the run is left. The surface is mostly paved, with a little bit of gravel. It is a bit uneven in places due to pothole repairs, so watch your step. There is a slight incline on the first loop, but the course is mostly flat. The volunteers have signposted important turns and even marshalled a short cut at the far end of the second loop, which I was impressed by. The park itself is quite large and has lots of open green spaces and little groves here and there. There is a duck pond and interestingly there is a baseball field in the park; a bit unusual for Ireland.

Coffee

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join parkrunners for a coffee after the run this morning. Any comments would be welcome.

X Factor

There is an awful lot to do and see in this park. There is a brief description of the park above, but there are many other sights. There is a pet farm and a bicycle park, and interestingly, there is an arboretum commemorating the Famine. This event offers a great opportunity to get out and get active but also to enjoy the outdoors after the run.