Belfast City Marathon 2008
Hi,
Anybody done the Belfast marathon in the past few years?
Anyone intending to do it this year?
This'll be part 2 of 6 Irish marathons I'll be doing this year (Connemara just completed!)
I've heard various non complimentary comments about it. Some say it's poorly organised, others were saying the scenery is non existent (Loads of motorway/ind estates). I'd like to get a feel for it if possible from those with experiences of it.
Please feel free to post any comments which may be helpful,
Thanks,
John.
It is a pretty awful course.
There is a few miles along the side of motorways (you actually run on one for a bit)
The worst part is going through the Harbour Industrial estate - It stinks. It's beside a dump and there is a fertiliser factory in there too.
dave
I did Belfast in 2005, and it was just like you say. I hated the course and haven't been back since. However, I've heard they changed it since then, and both the motorway and the industrial wasteland have been taken out, so it might be worth another try. Maybe next year.
Marathonguide.com is a great site to read runner reviews of races from around the world. Each race is rated out of five stars for quality of the course, organization, and fans. Here's a link for the international races:
http://www.marathonguide.com/races/races.cfm?place=Intl
Enjoy!
Brian
I did Belfast a few times and entered this year, I just go there because I like the City and go to B&Q :-)
The course is not too bad exept for the "grande parade" wee hill.
Not sure if I will finish this year, but will be at the start.
Hi,
I ran Belfast last year for the first time and I enjoyed it. I liked the scale of it. You could turn up not too long before the starting gun and then you were off without any waiting or fuss. I don't recall it being too hilly. There was a boring bit through an industrial estate and along a motor way, but thats true with many marathons (Edinburgh for instance). I loved the city break too and I'd like to go back and do it again. One thing they should change though is the marathon race pack pickup which made you have to go miles out of the way from the city.
Cheers.
Mick
I agree with the boring part, but nothing you can do. Not sure if I will finish this one, will have a go :-)
I think after wicklow trail I will be able to run a good bit.....
Nice posting on the Wicklow Trail Race Seb. A very enjoyable run. I remember you cheering us on as we passed you at the bridge over the Glencree river. Thanks for the encouragement, which I needed when I started up the next hill. :-)
Thanks, was really happy there, I hope I will be ok for belfast, the last time I ran there was 2001. I can't believe after all those years of pain and after the wheelchair expereincet last year that I am off running the mountains (only 10 month ago !!).
Mick next time you are in a race and I am around let me know, we could meet for coffee.
Will do. In the meantime, you could line up Mick and the other athenry guys to part-take in the imra events planned for out west later in the year i.e. Croagh Patrick and Ben Gorm. The challenges there are quite a bit different from the WW trail, but all the more enjoyable for it.
well keep me inform, and will definetly go, if not in august as I will probably be in china.
i loved it,twice.done it last year as part of an all irish and more marathon challenge.friendly,chatty,witty people,relay runners coming in every so often made the miles fly.a great course for a pb me thinks,let me know what you thought of it.
Good luck to everyone doing Belfast City Marathon on Monday. I'll be there in my Up and Running team colours (orange and black) handing out jelly beans, water and blister plasters in Duncrue/Dargan industrial estate. So it may be a boring bit of the marathon but a wee sugar rush should keep everyone going!
HelenD
Sports Therapist
Up and Runners
Hi All,
Sorry to hear about your setback Seb, hope you'll be back on the road again soon!
Helen - Can't say I saw you but I did see loads of the "Up & Running" people out and about on the course.
Anybody else do the Belfast Marathon yesterday? I managed it in just under 4hrs 22mins, a new PB by 12mins. Happy enough with that. The course was pretty much as described earlier in this thread but in fairness it wasn't quite as depressing. The Ind estate stunk alright. Antrim Road proved to be a long drawn out hill around the halfway mark which I hadn't expected. Nothing too difficult though and as ever, there's always a downhill section not far away.
So, two down (Connemara & Belfast) only four more (Newry, Cork, Longford & Dublin) to go!
JC.
Joined: 2007-11-08