WHAT:

A self-supported marathon from Hill of Down to Leixlip

WHEN:

Sunday 24th October, 2021, starting 10am sharp

WHERE:

The marathon will begin near Moran’s Pub, Hill of Down, Co. Meath. The route stays on the Royal Canal towpath for its full length. It will finish at Cope Bridge, near the Confey GAA Club in Leixlip. The first fifty entrants will get a coach to the start from Leixlip, and a commemorative gift. There will be refreshments at the finish line.

WHY:

The Royal Canal towpath is a lovely place to run. Much of this marathon will be on the newly-finished Greenway. And if you've been training for the Dublin Marathon and are looking for an option to register a time, this could be your opportunity!

The coach leaves Confey GAA car park at 9am sharp. We arrive at Moran's Pub, Hill of Down in time to for a quick warm-up and then we set off at 10am sharp. Arrival time at the finish line at Cope Bridge in Leixlip is, of course, entirely up to you, but your time will be recorded, and there will be refreshments and toilet facilities available. Current Covid restrictions mean we are limited in what we can do as regards post-race hospitality. With luck, this will change. Please see below for a Q&A.

Huge thanks to Confey GAA for the use of their parking and toilet facilities.

Q&A

What is the distance?

It’s a full marathon of 42.2kms. We have done our best to measure this as accurately as possible.

Are there any other distances?

No. Just a marathon. (If you are planning on doing a virtual Dublin Marathon, this might be a good opportunity.)

Will it be chip-timed?

No. But we will start at 10am sharp, and all finisher’s times will be recorded. We recommend you also use a GPS watch.

What support will there be on the run?

This is a self-supported run. You must bring your own water, gels, bars, energy drinks, etc. Whilst we hope to provide some water en-route, we cannot guarantee this. Please also carry a mobile phone with you if possible, as there are sections of the canal where you may find yourself on your own. If you need assistance, make sure someone you know is available to help.

Please note: There are toilets at the GAA club before the coach sets off, and again at the finish. But there are no toilets at the start line at Hill of Down.

What is the route like?

Many Leixlip runners know the canal towpath well, and anyone who has taken part in the legendary 'Lock Up The Year' runs will know much of this route. As this takes place along the canal towpath, the surfaces vary. From Hill of Down to Maynooth, the surface is all in good condition as it is part of the newly-opened Greenway. From Maynooth to Leixlip, the towpath is still rough in places, particularly from Pike Bridge to Louisa Bridge. The route is a very gentle downhill all the way. It’s flat, and even taking into consideration the crossings, and the few rough spots near Leixlip, you have an opportunity to do a good time.

Is there a route profile?

Most likely online, if you search around, you will find one. All you really need to know is that you are running along beside a canal and that means there are no hills. And even better than that, there is a gentle downhill from start to finish. The start point is approx 78m. elevation, and finishes at 68m. So over the course of 42k, you drop 10m. From the start point to about Ferrans Lock (Fern's Lock) which is just past the halfway point, it's relatively flat, then the drop down begins to Leixlip. Sure, Berlin may be flat, but is it downhill? ;-)

There is a good map of the Royal Canal here.

I don’t really know the route... could I get lost?

We will all start together on the north bank of the canal (heading east, the canal is on your right), so it’s very hard to get lost. The Royal Canal Greenway is well signposted. There are TWO canal crossings. The first is at Furey’s Pub where you cross from the north bank to the south. Crossing here is not optional, so you cannot go wrong. The second is at Enfield. You have no choice but to cross over from the south bank back to the north bank using the bridge. This also means crossing a busy road! Please take care. You do not cross the canal again.

You also cross the road at Kilcock Bridge, but not the canal. You have to obey the rules of the road as per normal. Maynooth Harbour can also be quite busy. Also, please note this towpath is popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. Just because you are bursting a lung to get a PB doesn’t give you the right of way. Respect everyone’s right to be on the greenway. The towpath will be open to all users. We plan to mark the route at intervals, including 10k, halfway, 10k to go, and the finish. Once you stay on the towpath, you can’t go wrong.

So, how much?

€20 will cover your coach trip from Leixlip to Hill of Down, a commemorative gift to mark the occasion, and your refreshments afterwards. We can accept this payment via PayPal using the Down to Town official email account, or you can use Revolut by getting in touch with us directly.

How many places are there?

We are limiting the run to the first 50 paid-up runners.

I'm not really up for a marathon, but I'd like to help!

Sounds great. We'll need a few volunteers to help out. Please send us an email to leixlipmarathon@gmail.com and we'll get back to you ASAP.

Who is organising this run?

Mainly it's me, Declan Kenny. I am a Leixlip native and keen runner, and all going well, I'll be joining you all on the day. If you have any questions not covered in the above Q&A, just fire off an email and I'll do my best to answer. Once you register and pay, I will email on further information, such as coach departure times and locations, maps of the route, and other useful stuff.

Social Media

The event is live on Facebook, so feel free to interact there, and of course, share the event details on your own social meed feeds too, if you like.

https://facebook.com/events/s/down-to-town-leixlip-marathon/1045669716262918/

Other stuff to note:

The Royal Canal is a lovely spot. Look after it. Don’t litter. You enter at your own risk. You should be a regular runner and in good shape for a marathon. Don’t enter if you have any doubts about your fitness. This is a totally voluntary and self-supported event. It is not covered by insurance, nor will the route be marshalled. It’s just a fun challenge for those who can’t get to run around Dublin for the day. But the canal is nicer ;-)