A great little race in every way

Coilte Headford 8km Road Race

Date: July 11^th, 2009

Citizen Reviewer: The Extra Miler

If the Headford 8km (www.headford8km.com) were entered into Crufts, it would surely be a contender for ‘best in breed’.

There are many races of this type dotted around the country but few which manage to produce quite such an enjoyable outing for the recreational or club runner. As usual I arrived at the race early and parked up close to the registration area at the Headford GAA club.

I was immediately asked by a friendly steward to park up a little closer to the next car so that they could accommodate as many people as possible, and I took this to be a good sign. Registration itself was quick and painless and although race HQ was a hive of activity it all seemed under control.

Facilities for changing and warming-up were superb as the race had secured use of the Headford GAA clubhouse. In my experience great credit is due to the GAA all over Ireland for their willingness to make their facilities available to races like the Headford 8km.

The race started on time and in safety, even though the road was busy and the weather was starting to close in. The route took runners out of town and along a busy stretch of the N84 towards Galway but soon turned left and down small country lanes.

The course couldn’t really be described as flat but wasn’t horrendous either. There was just one water stop en-route which was adequate for the race distance. Runners re-emerged onto busy roads within the last kilometre but the junction was well managed. The finish area was tucked in off the road, and fruit and bottled water were available for all which was a nice touch.

The prize giving took place within and hour of the race finishing where tea, coffee and sandwiches were plentiful. The awards were distributed with the minimum of fuss which is just the way most people like it and a full race result was available online within two days of the race.

In addition to the enjoyment provided to nearly 200 runners on the evening, this event raised funds for a local school for students with an intellectual disability.

In almost every respect I can think of this is a great little race.

Parking, registration, getting started, etc: 9/10

Beginner Friendliness:  9/10

Event Souvenir: 7/10

Safety: 8/10

The course, surface, scenery, route marshalling: 8/10

Water stops: 8/10

The aftermath, results, food, changing, shower, etc: 9/10

General value for money: 9/10

Will I be back? Yes

Overall Score: 84%