The Clare Burren Half Marathon is just two weeks away!

Where the hell has the time gone? I can't believe the Clare Burren Half Marathon is only two weeks away! I have kind of been distracted with the Galway 5K Series and the Great Race Galway that I kind of didn't notice the weeks flying by. Just this week I had my first look at the course map for Saturday 25th of May:

I don't know how familiar you are with Co. Clare (my home-county) but rugged would be a good word to describe the general landscape. The Half Marathon starts and finishes in Ballyvaughan on the coast, looking across the Atlantic at New York. Ballyvaughan itself is a beautiful little town filled with lovely small pubs and places to eat. I remember not too long ago heading on a night out in BallyV with two friends of mine Clair & Aisling and I ended up passed out on the pier at 5 o'clock in the morning. Something tells me the next time I pass out in BallyV won't be from drinking too much ;)

Anyway, I'm digressing. The Clare coastline is jagged to say the least. I was curious about the profile of the course and that was when I found this:

Are. You. Kidding. Me?

The route brings you from Ballyvaughan, up the Fineona road, past the Burren College of Art, and the ruins of Rathbourney Church and onto the green trail road. Half way up Poulacapple the route turns right heading and on the trail back down Poulacapple Gleninagh, the Aran Islands, Gleninagh Castle, the Rine, and South Galway Coast will all be in view. The course then joins back onto the main road, along the coast, passing the Pinnacale Well, and back to the finish line. The route is approx 3 miles on road, 3 off road, 3 on road, 2 off road with the rest on road back into the village.

It most definitely doesn't sound like a walk in the park! That being said - I'm looking forward to the challenge of it!