Cork018

Preview of the Dunmanway 10 km road race...


Directions......Dunmanway is on the R586 Bandon to Bantry road and about 45 minutes from Cork City. 
Once you enter Dunmanway itself, you should look for the relief road to the south of the town. See the map and directions underneath...



Once you get to the town then you have to find the GAA hall which will be used as the race venue....

As you drive through the town, you will pass a Topaz station on your left. Take the next left (see pic above...left). This relief road will take you to the south side of the town and you will come out at a t-junction (see pic above...right). Take a left here.

After 300 metres, you'll cross a bridge, you'll see the Parkway Hotel on your left and the road junction ahead. Take the right here and the GAA hall is just up this road. There should be plenty of direction markers out on the day so you'll find it ok.



Course Description.....
The start is back down on West Green....a short distance from the GAA hall....

The course then proceeds through the centre of the town...

As you begin to leave the town, there is a slight pull before the bridge over the Bandon River as it weaves its way towards Bandon and Kinsale. Around here, you hit the 1 mile mark...

On the far side, there is a short climb for about 300 metres until you turn off right onto a narrow road. From here on, you are on nice quiet country roads with the hills of west Cork in the background...

There are a few small pulls but nothing too serious. On past the 2 mile mark and you reach Ballabuidhe Bridge and cross the Bandon River for the 2nd time...the lowest point of the course.

A sharp right after this and you continue on narrow roads. Eventually, you come out at a T-junction and a wider road...

...you take a left here and there is a small pull now for 400 metres of so...

...and then you turn off right, back on to quiet narrow country roads again and on shortly to the 4 mile mark.

The next 1.5 miles or so are pretty flat. There is however just one climb to deal with just before the 6 mile mark. It is about 400 metres long and comes at a stage of the race when you are most tired.

However once you reach the top, there is a very fast downhill section all the way to the finish line by the GAA hall.

Overall......A nice scenic course. Wide roads at the start to allow the field to thin out, quiet country roads after that. While there are a few climbs, there is nothing too long. It's a well organised race that was voted the best 10k road race in Cork for 2011 and 2012.