Four races worth knowing about this weekend, spread across the country and covering everything from a sub-27m ascent half marathon to 1,900m of Wicklow climbing.
Royal Canal Run — Saturday 25 April, Longford
Start times from 11am. Entry from €30.
The Royal Canal Run is one of the flattest race days in Ireland — 5.2km loops along the canal towpath starting and finishing at Longford Slashers GAA Club, with three distances on offer: a 10k (15m ascent, €30), half marathon (27m ascent, €45) and full marathon (55m ascent, €55). The multi-loop format means you're never far from the aid station and spectators are there throughout, which makes a real difference in the later kilometres. Last year's half marathon winning times were 1:14:49 for the men and 1:27:06 for the women — numbers that give you a sense of how fast this course runs.
View the half marathon · 10k · Marathon
ALTAR 50k & 100k — Saturday 25 April, Wicklow
Start 8:10am. Entry €79/€99.
The ALTAR events take place in Avondale Forest Park in Wicklow — 15 loops of a 3.2km forest trail circuit after a short starter loop, with the aid station accessible every time you pass through. On paper the looped format sounds manageable. In practice you're accumulating 930m of climbing on the 50k and 1,900m on the 100k, with an eight-hour cut-off keeping the pressure on. The course record for the 50k stands at 3:26:25 — set on forest trail, not road — which tells you something about the quality of the field this race attracts. The woodland setting in Avondale is genuinely beautiful, which helps when you're on loop eleven.
Rosscarbery Surf Turf 'n' Tar — Saturday 25 April, Cork
Start 9am (half), 9:30am (10k). Entry €35/€45.
Now in its eighth year, this is one of the more distinctive race days on the Irish calendar with two distances — a 10k (165m ascent, €35) and half marathon (420m ascent, €45). The half marathon course takes in road, beach, forest and cliff path — through the Castlefreke Estate, along Owenahincha beach, across the Cliff Walk and Warren Strand before finishing on Pier Road beside the Celtic Ross Hotel. The 10k follows a shorter version of the same route but still packs in 165m of climbing. With 420m of ascent the half is genuinely tough, but the variety of terrain means you're never grinding through the same scenery for long. All proceeds go to community initiatives in the Rosscarbery area and places are capped at 1,000 across both distances.
Sarsfields GAA 5k & 10k — Sunday 26 April, Kildare
Entry from €21.40.
A straightforward Sunday morning race in Kildare if you're looking for something local and accessible. The 5k is undulating with 32m of ascent and the 10k is flat at 30m — both well-suited to anyone running for time. No frills, solid organisation from Sarsfields GAA, and a good option for anyone who's been building through the spring and wants a race on the legs before the May calendar gets busy.
Full course maps, elevation profiles and race details for all of this weekend's races are on RaceRoutes. Always check the official race website before travelling as details can change.