Running Routes in Cork City and Surrounding Towns
Cork can look like there is no where to run if you are staying in a hotel in the city but is is actually a great place for running.
Here are 20 (Twenty), yes 20 not 10 running routes, running trails or sections of greenway perfect for doing workouts or sessions in or around Cork City and the surrounding towns of Glanmire, Little Island and Midleton.
A car is handy in Cork if not essential but a lot of the routes can be accessed via the train.
The Routes
1. Blackrock Cork Marina Loop
Probably the most run route in Cork is the lap of the Blackrock Marina, it can get a little busy on a Sunday morning. The Marina lap is nearly exactly 5 miles, you can add on the loop of Monahan Road and Centre Park road to make up 8 miles.
2. Midleton Running Loop using the Greenway
Midleton has some nice options for running, the 5 mile loop from the Grumpy Bakers can be added onto the Greenway out and back to Mogeely to make up 18 miles.
3. Glanmire Running Loop with Hills
This route is the reason why anyone who lives in Glanmire is good at running. It is the staple route for people running in Glanmire, can be shortened to about 6 miles. Nice and hilly.
4. Little Island Running Loop
Nice loop with a little known section along the waterfront with a view across to Blackrock and Rochestown.
5. Glounthaune Greenway Running Route
The path from Dunkettle to Carrigtohill is great to run on, it’s 4m wide with a few undulations but no real hills, great for tempos, 5k reps or just easy runs. Can park at the Gaelscoil or at Stir It and get coffee afterwards.
6. Marina to UCC Mardyke Loop
Can be added onto the Marina loop to make up a longer run. Nice to do early in the morning if you are unusual and like running in the morning
7. UCC Mardyke to UCC Farm Running Route
I used to do this run in college. The path used to be all gravel now it is all tarmac, most of it is lit up at night too.
8. Hop Island Rochestown with Raffeen Hills
If you want a very hilly long run park at Hop Island and do two laps of Raffeen.
9. Moanbaun Woods Trail Running
Moanbaun Woods is a nice place to run, the surface is packed gravel with a bit of shelter from the wind with all the trees.
10. Glen Park Run from Cork City Centre
This is how to get to the hilliest Park Run in Cork from the city center. It’s much better than the one at Tramore Valley Park in my opinion.
11. East Ferry Running Route
East Ferry is a great place to run, the route is all on road but the road is very quiet as the road doesn’t go anywhere so anyone using it is either living there or driving there to go for a run.
12. UCC Farm Lap
This is the unofficial way to run around the Farm. The farm is great for cross country sessions. Can do 10 minute reps using the first two big fields, each of the first two fields are about a kilometer of a lap.
13. Beantown Cafe Loop via Ballincollig Regional Park
Nice route for a long run with coffee and oaties afterwards. Takes in Ballincollig Regional Park which is a nice place to run too.
14. Raffeen Long Run Route
Nice hard Sunday (or other day) long run route. Section up Raffeen hill is on the road, the rest is on footpaths or cyclepaths.
15. Make You Strong 2K Repeat for Sessions Loop Dunkettle
There is a natural 2 kilometer loop if you start just before the Rising Tide pub and run back up the hill towards Dunkettle. Loop around just before the Gaelscoil for a with a nice gentle downhill to end the 2 kilometer rep.
16. Glanmire Groto Session Section
The new bike path from Glanmire Village Grotto to Dunkettle even looks like a track. It is perfect for doing anything from kilometer repeats down to 200m efforts. Nice and flat if a little vulnerable to headwinds.
17. Ryan Creech Lockdown Loop
This is the famous Lockdown Loop where most people in Cork ran their 5k, 10k and possibly even half marathon P.Bs. Do as many loops as you like to make up whatever distance. It isn’t as safe as it was during the lockdown as there are too many cars but some people like Ryan Creech still swear by it.
18. Lap of The Lough
After the Mardyke was first flooded and destroyed in the early 2000s we used to use this for training with Togher A.C. A classic session was 3x3 laps of the lough, it's actually a great lap of just over a kilometer with a little bit of grass and some concrete all you have to do is dodge the swans and slackliners. We didn’t have GPS back then so we used to do it to heart rate, I think a good time for 3 laps was 11 minutes.
19. 5K Blackrock Village
This is a new option for a 5K run or race from Blackrock Village, start at the bollards that indicate the start of the pedistrianised section from Blackrock Village, loop around Pairc Ui Caoimh and back up the Marina finishing near the grotto. Plenty of options for coffee at the Natural Foods Bakery and Cameron Bakery.
20. Fitzgerald’s Park 5k from River Lee Hotel
Nice morning 5K run through Fitzgerald's Park and along the Mardyke, the last mile takes in Mile 25 of the Cork City Marathon route. It is always nicest in the morning as the place is quiet and for some reason it doesn’t rain as often in the morning or at least I don’t think it does.