Donard Challenge – Course Preview

by rbell · April 6, 2017

Here is a handy course preview from the last event in 2014.

This morning five hardy, or is that foolhardy, men met in the lashing rain in Donard Park to embark on a recce of the Donard Challenge route. We heard tales of people being lashed off the hill yesterday by the wind and truth be told, it did not look great; however the Irish weather is a funny thing and we ended up enjoying a couple of hours of sunshine, albeit it was a tad damp underfoot – as in – I have never seen the hills so wet. What follows is a brief guide to the race course.

The start is a fast dash around the football pitch in Donard Park and onto the road heading for the first bridge.

A fast start out of Donard Park

At the first bridge you make your way up a short cobbled path before making your way onto an undulating forest path heading towards the first checkpoint.

After the first bridge you take the path to the left

As you get closer to the first checkpoint the path starts to ramp up.

Path starts to kick up towards quarry

Generally the path looks less like a river.

The path to quarry continues

Checkpoint 1 is at 300m.

Checkpoint 1 – Take a path that goes from the left around the quarry

There is a track here which leads you all the way up to the top of Millstone and checkpoint 2 at 450m.

Climbing Millstone

Checkpoint 2 – Millstone Summit

There is a flat section off Millstone summit over to the lower slopes of Donard.

Running from Millstone towards Donard

If you get the right line you should hit a track which goes most of the way to the summit and checkpoint 3 at 850m.

The lower slopes of Donard

Looking back down Donard ascent

Approaching the 1st Cairn on Donard

I took a picture of a view from the summit so you know what it looks like, just in case the cloud is down on race day.

Checkpoint 3 – Donard Summit

After the second cairn you reverse on yourself to the first cairn. The descent is now yours for the taking. It starts with a technical section through a band of rocks. This is followed by some good old peaty fell running. If you look at the descent you should see tracks near a stone patch on the top left of the photo. This is what you should be aiming for.

The descent of Donard from just below the first cairn

After the first technical section the descent opens out

Once on these tracks you should be able to pick a route down to the river.

The decent heads for the river to take you to the next checkpoint

This eventually takes you to the top of the second quarry. Be careful here. This will be taped on race day, but make sure you skirt to the left as there is a big drop here.