The Regeneron Great Limerick Run takes over Limerick city today with over 16,000 runners taking part across the marathon, half marathon and 6 mile distances. Whether you're running it yourself or supporting someone on course, here's everything you need to know.
The Marathon — 42.2km
Start 9am from Pery Square.
The marathon is the headline event and follows a single-loop course through the heart of Limerick city before heading out to the suburbs. Starting at Pery Square in front of St. Michael's Church, runners head through the Georgian quarter and out toward the Raheen and Dooradoyle suburbs. The route then loops back across the River Shannon via the Sarsfield Bridge for stunning riverside views, passes Thomond Park stadium, and travels through the University of Limerick campus before returning to finish on O'Connell Street.
With 226m of total ascent across the 42.2km, the course is best described as gently undulating — it's not flat but it's a long way from hilly. The University of Limerick section gives runners a welcome change of scenery around halfway, and the final stretch through the city centre is lined with thousands of spectators.
View full course map and elevation profile
The Half Marathon — 21.1km
Start 11am from Pery Square.
The half marathon is the most popular distance and joins the marathon course for the final stretch into the city. Starting at Pery Square, runners pass the People's Park, head out through the Georgian quarter and travel through Raheen and Dooradoyle. The course passes Old Crescent Rugby Club before crossing the River Shannon via Sarsfield Bridge and looping past Thomond Park.
With 130m of ascent it's a fast course suited to PB attempts. Last year's winning times were 1:14:49 for the men and 1:27:06 for the women — a sense of how fast this course runs. Pacers are available for finish times of 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00 and 2:10.
View full course map and elevation profile
The 6 Mile — 9.7km
Start 12:30pm from Pery Square.
The 6 mile is the most accessible distance and follows the same opening section as the half marathon before peeling off to take a more direct route back to the finish. With minimal ascent and a fast city course, it's a great introduction to road racing for newer runners or a sharp tempo session for experienced ones. Walkers are welcome on this distance too.
Pacing strategy
The first 5k of all three distances has a slight uphill drag through the Georgian quarter — don't burn matches here, the course flattens out significantly once you reach Raheen. Save energy for the slight rise across Sarsfield Bridge around the halfway mark of the half and three-quarter mark of the marathon. The final 2km into the finish is flat and the crowd support is huge — let them carry you home.
Aid stations
- Half marathon: Miles 2, 4.5, 7, 9, 10.5, 12.5
- Marathon: Miles 3, 6, 8.5, 12, 17.5, 20, 22, 23.5, 25.5
Plenty of support throughout but consider carrying your own gels if you have a specific fuelling strategy you've trained with.
What to expect on the day
- Race start: Pery Square, in front of St. Michael's Church
- Finish line: O'Connell Street in the city centre
- Atmosphere: With over 16,000 entrants this is the biggest mass participation event outside Dublin — expect packed streets and huge crowd support
- Course closure: The course is fully closed to traffic and Athletics Ireland certified
Best of luck to everyone running today.
Full course maps, elevation profiles and race details for the Great Limerick Run and every road race in Ireland are on RaceRoutes.