Back to photostream

Longwood Village 5KM and 10KM 2018 - 8.5km mark and finish

This is a photograph from 8.5KM mark (and finish area) of both of the races in the 9th annual Longwood Village 10KM and 5KM Road Races and Fun Runs which were held in Longwood Village, Longwood, Co. Meath, Ireland on Sunday 21st October 2018 at 11:00. The races are held annually to support the development of the local GAA club while also supporting local charities. The race has support from Trim AC which sees the race have full AAI premit status. These races have grown steadily over the years and this year again almost 400 participants to part in the two races. This is an impressive statistic given that a very large number of local runners will be preparing for the Dublin City marathon 7 days from now. However both races provide marathon runners and all other runners, joggers and walkers with an ideal opportunity to race on a very fair course in a beautiful rural setting. Barry Clarke of Longwood GAA and Trim AC and his very large group of volunteers deserve the highest of praise for the very high standard of organisation immediately apparent to anyone taking part in the race. Overall the whole day was a great success with the hard work put in by the organising committee ensuring that participants enjoyed their race experience. Both routes were accurately measured, kilometer points clearly marked, junctions well stewarded, and electronic timing provided. The event provided many local runners, joggers, fun runners and walkers with a local event to support whilst at the same time providing runners preparing for events such as the Dublin marathon with an opportunity to race a short, fast, distance in the lead up to marathon day. The GAA club provided excellent stewarding and traffic management all around the course. The race had a professional feel to it and as before it gets better year on year given the very positive feedback from many of the participants each year. The weather in the week leading up to the race was almost ideal for racing but Sunday morning seen some more breezy and wet conditions taking hold for the race, despite high temperatures for this time of year around 12 or 13c.

 

 

We have an extensive set of photographs from all of the races today in the following Flickr Album: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/albums/72157702660163805

 

 

Timing and event management was provided by PopUpRaces.ie. Results are available on their website at www.popupraces.ie/

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM and 10KM 2017: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/albums/72157661720601468

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM and 10KM 2016: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/albums/72157672030705623

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM and 10KM 2015: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157660017638535

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM and 10KM 2014: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157648845224981/

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM and 10KM 2013: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157636477484093/

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM 2012: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157631820426332/

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM 2011: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157627782257481/

 

Our photographs from Longwood 5KM 2010: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157625058772687/

 

 

Longwood is a small village in South East Co. Meath and is close to the town of Enfield with access to the M4 Motorway.

 

 

5KM Course: The 5KM started in Longwood village. Runners then took a left turn in the Village down St. Oliver's Road. This straight section of road brings runners to a left turn onto a very well maintained boreen road for less than one kilometer. The race then emerges and joins with the 10KM at Stoneyford where the runners take a left and then another left before arriving back at the finish line in Longwood GAA club. Overall this is a very fast and flat 5KM with no hills to speak of.

 

 

10KM Course: The 10KM event begins in Longwood Village outside Dargan's Pub and proceeds westward out of the village. There are some interesting points along this part of the course. At the 2KM point the runners will run under the double bridges - an aquaduct for the Royal Canal and a bridge carrying the Dublin Sligo Railway line. The race then enters county Kildare just before the 3km and after taking a right turn at the four-cross roads known locally as Lally's Cross it returns to County Meath on top of the River Boyne Bridge (Ashfield Bridge) which forms the county boundary. The race follows a straight road for the next 2KM until runners encounter Blackshade bridge which is the toughest climb on the route. As a point of interest Blackshade bridge brings runners back over the Royal Canal and the Railway line. The race then crosses the River Boyne again at Stoneyford before taking a right which will bring runners on a testing two kilometer stretch with some short hills. The 10KM course then joins with the 5Km course for the final 1.5KM back to Longwood GAA club for the finish.

384 views
0 faves
0 comments
Uploaded on October 21, 2018
Taken on October 21, 2018