Preview of the Ballynonty 10 Mile road race - Sun 25th July 2010

This 10 mile road race takes place in the village of Ballynonty in South Tipperary at 11am on Sunday, the 25th of July. Ballynonty is located between the villages of Killenaule and New Birmingham, just to the South East of the 'Horse&Jockey' and Littleton on the N8 Cork to Dublin road. 


If you are coming from the south, then from the M8, take the exit for the Horse&Jockey. When you reach the T-junction at the Horse&Jockey, take a left and drive up the old N8 road for a few hundred metres. Take the 1st right that you come across. Look for signposts for Ballynonty / Killenaule. 


When you enter Ballynonty, go through the crossroads in the village and you are looking for a community centre which is a house in a new looking housing estate on the left (..it's on the road. You don't need to tun in)

In terms of 10 mile road races, this one is probably one of the smallest in Munster. The field is usually pretty small...in fact, last year they only got 66 runners, slightly down from the 73 the previous year. It seems a pity as there are loads of short 5k/4m/5m races on the race calendar but the 10 milers are relatively scarce. The thing about the short races is that they are all about speed...you go out relatively hard and hang on. You can't do that with a 10 miler. It's a combination of speed and stamina which makes it a good challenge. 

I ran this race for the first time in 2009. It certainly has the feel of a well organised club race yet the small number of runners seems to give it a unique atmosphere. The course itself had a few small drags but nothing too serious. The route is mainly on quiet country roads in South Tipp. The spread after the race is excellent and a huge amount of effort goes into it. In terms of prizes, they are.....let's say....different ;o)

As a race, I would certainly recommend it. The entry fee is very modest....€10?

If you are interested in this unique race, you might consider it on Sunday.......John Desmond