Description of the Route

This article was a part of the Connemara Marathon Stand at the Dublin Marathon Expo and I just thought I'd recycle it here. If anyone had any questions I'd be glad to answer them. Sorry it's so long, but then again it is an Ultramarathon :-)

The Connemara Ultra Marathon
By Mick Rice

The Origins of an Ultra

Having run only one race longer than a standard marathon I can hardly be considered an expert on ultramarathons. Hopefully however I can claim a little expertise about this particular race and the route along which the Connemara Ultra is run. I was one of the lucky few runners who participated in the inaugural Connemara Marathon along these roads back in September of 2002. That race was one of those experiences that have become so imprinted on my memory that it has since taken on an air of seeming unreality. My memories of that day swirl around visions of green hills sore legs and almost empty roads.

Less than two years later the Connemara Marathon races have become a great success and many more people have their own ?mystical memories? of running through the hills of Connemara. One exciting addition to the original Marathon and Half-Marathon races came in March of 2004 with the introduction of an ultramarathon over 39.3 miles. The first running of the Ultra Marathon saw thirty-nine runners take on the challenge of this extended race distance.

Races over such distances are a rarity in this part of the world and even the organisers were unsure as to how the race might develop. The inaugural list of entries included such luminaries as World Champion Dennis Walmsley from Britain and Ireland?s Eoin Keith alongside a strong local and international field.

On the day itself the race was blessed with perfect weather and some fine performances. As many expected Dennis Walmsley won the race in a fine time of 4:10:38, which converts to a staggering average of 6 minutes and 20 seconds per mile over the entire distance. Not everyone can aspire to such superhuman running but everyone who had started the race went on to finish the course, which is a huge achievement in itself.

The field was largely comprised of first-time ultramarathoners who wanted to explore distances longer than a standard marathon race. Entry requirements had stipulated that each runner should have completed a recent marathon race in five hours or less and so it was a relatively experienced group that took on the challenge of thirty-nine miles along mountain roads.

In large part, the setting for these Connemara Marathon races is the real star attraction each year. Many of us train and race in fairly mundane surroundings from week to week. For someone who hasn?t had the chance to experience the wonders of Connemara it?s hard to convey just how open and wild the place can feel to run through. Running over the extended distance involved in an ultramarathon only magnifies the feeling of liberation that this wilderness provides. At various stages of the ultramarathon course runners find themselves almost alone on the road between aid stations. After thirteen miles the ultramarathon and marathon courses merge so that runners have more company and support.

The race starts just outside the village of Maam Cross, a small market village in the heart of the Connemara in the shadow of Leckavrea Mountain. The small field for the 2004 race stretched and exchanged small talk nervously for a few short moments before being sent on their way. Once the starting gun went off there was literally no turning back. The course is a single loop around the Maumturk mountain range, finishing back at race registration. What lay ahead was three half-marathons, back-to-back, through some of the most beautiful countryside that you can imagine.

The first half-mile or so of the race brings runners back past race registration. Groups of runners who were to take part in the standard marathon gathered on the roadside to send the ?ultra? field on its way. One or two front-runners detached themselves from the field almost immediately after the start. Another group of eight to ten runners stayed together at a less ambitious initial pace. Having passed Maam Cross and headed out the Clifden Road, the competitors had ten miles of running before the first of many right hand turns. On this course the Maumturk Mountain Range is always on your right hand side.

Within the first three miles, runners pass Lough Shindilla on the right had side of the road and Oorid Lough on the left. You can see water from many parts of this course. Numerous lakes and rivers, some bearing names and others without, crop up regularly along the route. After nearly nine miles the course proceeds through the sleepy village of Recess. To be honest, and with the greatest of respect, there?s not much to Recess, but the passing of this small and picturesque collection of houses confirms that progress is being made through the early stages of such a long race.

Shortly after Recess runners turn right off of the Clifden Road with Lissoughter Mountain towering dramatically above them. The road now becomes even smaller and quieter than before. This ?boreen? drifts gently down a series of twists and bends towards Lough Inagh and the starting line of the Marathon Course. At that point the two courses, marathon and ultramarathon, merge.

In 2004 the Ultra had started an hour and a half before the standard marathon race. This meant that the fastest ?ultrarunners? actually passed the marathon starting point before the shorter race had begun. The lead ultrarunners had the surreal experience of running through a tunnel of cheering marathoners to propel them on their way.

As the runners in both races stream along the road by the side of Lough Inagh they could gaze across the lake towards the Twelve Pins Mountains. Derryclare and Bencorr come first into view and behind these two gentle giants, to the west, Benbreen and Benbaun tower above both the runners and the lake. Once Lough Inagh has been left behind, the road twists through a small forested section and along sections of exposed road.

After roughly twenty miles of running the course turns sharply to the right and runners encounter the first of three significantly uphill sections on the course. This short sharp shock lasts about a third of a mile and can ?mug? the unwary runner.

Once over the crest of this rise you are rewarded with a most beautiful view of Lough Fee below and to the right. The trick of course is to have enough energy, even after running the hill, to be able to enjoy the scenery. The road then proceeds along past Tullyconor Bridge and eventually emerges alongside Killary Harbour. As everyone tells you, Killary is Ireland?s only fjord. Personally speaking this is my favourite section of the course although it?s not as simple to run as you might think. Three times I?ve raced this route and each time I?ve felt rough on the long slow descent to the side of Killary Harbour. For some strange reason I never seem to get the benefit of what is in reality a long gentle downhill stretch that many other runners look forward to for miles.

The road winds gracefully along the waterfront and arrives into sleepy Leenaun. This little town was the location where the Oscar winning film ?The Field? was filmed, although the only remaining trace I?ve been able to find is the eponymous local bar.

Don?t be distracted by the prospect of refreshment however because there?s some climbing to do at this stage. At Leenaun runners have run twenty-six miles and so for many each step further is both a gamble and an experiment. The first two-thirds of a mile out of Leenaun is away from the sea and steadily uphill. Make no mistake this is a tough section of the course. Once conquered however, all serious climbing is finished with until close to the finish of the race.

The route at this point divides two glowering hills, Tonalee and Rinavore, and meanders up and down small quiet roads. For the rest of the year this is sheep farming country and the wooly locals often assert their right-of-way on the road. From the thirty-two mile mark, the Ballynabrack River accompanies the road and both road and river pass through the village of Maum two miles later.

With only five miles left to cover, the prospective ultramarathoner is almost ?home? by this stage. However, the most challenging section on the entire course remains ahead. Between miles thirty-five and thirty-seven the route climbs over the shoulder of Corcogemore Mountain. The gradient is steep, unrelenting and lasts about a mile and a half. Given that runners will have so many miles in their legs by this point, this tough section is the supreme test posed by the Connemara Ultramarathon. Many, many runners struggle on this section while almost perversely others prosper. You just don?t know how you?re going to manage until you arrive at the bottom of this hill on the day of the race. As fellow long-distance runner Forrest Gump was fond of saying, ?Life is like a box of chocolates?you never know what you?re going to get.?

Once competitors have crested this last soul-searching climb you?re on the ?glory stretch?. With over thirty-seven miles behind them, the finishing line becomes tantalisingly visible in the distance. The clock tower of Peacockes Hotel shines like a beacon of hope to runners as they complete the final weary steps of their ultramarathon.

Crossing the finish line elicits many different reactions from the exhausted runners. Some seem to burst forward with renewed energy, perhaps born from relief at actually finishing the race, whilst others surrender to near collapse having held back the tide of fatigue for so many miles. At the conclusion of the inaugural race the most memorable reaction came from Japanese runner Tetsu Hikima who, having made it past the ?tape?, turned around and slowly bowed with clasped hands towards the mountains. His reaction was unique and impressive but was emblematic of the respect, perhaps even reverence that this inspiring race had drawn that day from the small field of enterprising runners.

Although the other Connemara races have grown significantly both in terms of participants and the quality of race organisation in a short time, it seems unlikely that the Connemara Ultramarathon will change dramatically over the coming years. In all probability people will be less inclined to take on this tough challenge in quite the same numbers as they have done the shorter distances.

Race director Ray O?Connor has confirmed that the Ultramarathon has secured it place alongside the other two Connemarathon Races and will be offered each year as long as there are sufficient ?crazies? willing to take up the challenge. Having quite literally ?gone down that road? once before, I?m waiting patiently and training hard for my next opportunity to take to the mountain roads once again. Perhaps I?ll see you there.