Recently, after a two-year break, Clonmel Athletic Club hosted their annual half marathon on a brand new course that encompassed both the town and surrounding countryside, even including a brief venture across the border into County Waterford.
At 9:30am, over 500 participants set off from the start line, beginning their race on the N24 Ring Road around the town. This was an ideal start to the race as the wide footpaths allowed the faster runners to separate themselves from the joggers.
After about two kilometres, at the Poppyfields roundabout, we took a quick left followed by a sharp right-hand turn where I received my first surprise of the day. At this junction, stewarding the race, was Tipperary hurling legend and childhood idol of mine, the great John Leahy. I managed to get a high-five from the man himself and for old times’ sake, I let out a roar of “Aboy Leahy boy,” a cheer often heard around the hurling stadiums of Ireland back in the 1990s.
From here, we made our way down towards St. Patrick's Well, a place closely associated with Ireland's patron saint and both its Christian and Pagan traditions. This serene and spiritual well is often visited by those seeking comfort, solitude and some quiet time. If you are ever in the locality, it is well worth spending some time there.
However, participants had no time for spiritual reflection, and quickly made their way past the stunning Marlfield Lake towards Marlfield village itself. With picturesque homes surrounded by charming old brickwork, Marlfield looked stunning on this beautiful Sunday morning.
Here, we encountered the first climb of the day as we left the village and made our way back towards Clonmel town. We crossed the River Suir and followed the road past the historic Hotel Minella. Shortly afterwards, we found ourselves in County Waterford. This section of the route had a distinctly rural feel and we were cheered on by locals outside their houses offering sweets to the grateful runners.
We soon faced the second big climb of the day, almost a kilometre long, and runners were rewarded for their effort as they doubled back, jogging downhill towards the river, which we crossed for the second time that day.
Running on the main road, parallel to the river, we made our way back into Clonmel town, jogging on the blue way which makes up the majority of the local Parkrun route, passed under the historic arch before jogging through the heart of the town and finishing the race with a lap of the newly laid track at the TUS campus. This was a stunning way to end what had been a highly enjoyable, well-organised and beautiful half marathon in South Tipperary.
All participants were rewarded for their efforts with a fantastic finisher's medal and a high-quality half zip. There was plenty of water and food afterwards and Clonmel Athletic Club can rightly be proud of themselves for organising such a fantastic event, which should be marked in the diaries of all long-distance runners for next year.