Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon

When it comes to getting a tour of the highlights Dublin has to offer, you can grab a Hop-On-Hop-Off Tour Bus OR you can run a half-marathon around Dublin. I refuse to make anything easy on myself, so I chose to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon.

I would rate this one of my top races; not speed-wise (don’t be crazy) but route-wise. It is a point-to-point course that begins in the Docklands area of Dublin and takes you all the way through Dublin to Phoenix Park.

If I had to guess, I would say there were almost 3,000 people participating. It took a bit to get corrals moving, but nothing like a Disney race. A number of runners were American (last number I saw quoted 1,500), and of course I ran into a Texan – we are everywhere.

Standing in the corral waiting for the start of the race, it was a bit windy and rain was threatening. My archenemy for races: cold and rain. Questioning my decisions, I reluctantly set off and fortunately warmed up quickly. The rain was holding off.

The route took you along the River Liffey where you passed notable attractions like the Christ Church Cathedral, Brazen Head Pub (Ireland’s oldest pub), James Joyce Museum, and the Guinness Brewery.

Continuing through the Royal Hospital and its incredible garden, the course made its way to Phoenix Park, the largest walled park in Europe. It is spectacular. Oh, and for those keeping track, the rain is still holding.

You could easily spend an entire day getting lost investigating all of the paths winding around the scenic Phoenix Park. I was very fortunate to sight the roaming wild deer. The pack darted in and out of my vision as they ran through the trees. They were not the only runners faster than me that day.

Dotted along the route was the signature element of a Rock ‘n’ Roll race: bands. There was an eclectic mix of musicians and the traditional Irish music bands were a crowd favorite. Many of the runners got into the rock ‘n’roll spirit and I occasionally found myself running next to an ACDC reject or a lost member of KISS. Fortunately it was still not raining, so no risk of ruined make-up.

The entire route was comprised of Dublin history and incredible landscapes. The after-party was in a large field at the park and was very organized. I had no problem finding and getting my beer.

The Dublin Half Marathon was a really well thought out race with the full support of the city and done with Irish pride. I was thrilled to not only have finished the race, but to have also defeated my archenemy for another day. Not  today, rain. Not today.