I do, but meh.
Iād say Limerick is a bit shit, the six mile race is great but you wouldnāt even know the marathon is going on,
@Bandage would spend the entire second half of the race being passed by half runners
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Looking at Strava @Bandage I entirely agree with @backinatracksuit
Youll finish it handy enough if you go steady.
Itāll be great. Walk any steep uphill and equally important any steep downhill.
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If there was a choice Iād tell him to hold off and do Dublin but will be difficult to get an entry as most will be carried over from 2020. Iāve never ran a smaller marathon but I think Iād find it difficult too.
Marathon is enough of a challenge without throwing in 1000m of climbing. With it being in April heās going to have to drag himself out to the Dublin mountains or somewhere similar in the middle of winter for at least 3 or 4 two and a half or 3 hour training runs. That plus I donāt think he has done much hill running before. Iām with @fenwaypark on this
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Iāve no doubt he could finish it but chances are heāll be struggling for the last 10k. Heās more than capable of breaking 3ā30 for a road marathon and possibly smashing it. I really donāt see any benefit to him doing a trail marathon at this stage.
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I just thought he could have a bit of fun since itās all booked, I suppose Iād be pushed off but Iād still do it in the circumstances, just treat it as a run/hike, do a lot of walking without beating myself up about it, and finish, in 5 hours of needs be.
But itād be a good experience I think, save the marathon training for an Autumn race,
Since itās booked and all like 
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Thereās a half option too which is challenging enough in my book. Heāll be finished by 10PM and heāll be able to go and enjoy his few pints. Thatās what Iād be doing anyway. It could take a month to get right after that marathon.
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Thereās no need to be chasing a time. I just enjoy the day out whenever I do something.
Anyhow.
Very unsettling to see backseat drivers undermining the Coach here
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Thanks for the advice, lads. The only thing booked so far is the actual race. No sunk costs for flights or accommodation so it might be wisest to switch to a new target race. Iām due to meet my pals this evening and will add this item to the agenda under its own specific heading.
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Itās not the Barkley marathon.
He could have a grand day out wandering round it.
Yes but youād struggle for the last 10k of anything (including a 10k). Thatās just the way of anything.
I ran around Lisbon a few years back, itās fair hilly.
If I was doing 1,000m climbed in 42km on the bike I would say thatās a great bit of training done.
Steer clear Bandage, do Cork instead.
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@Bandage if you want to do that Lisbon marathon you need to be running over Howth head rather than turning around at the bottom of it!
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50kms since Wednesday morning @fenwaypark. Iāll be asleep in the pub later.
@Mac I actually briefly considered the climb when I settled on a return jaunt to Howth. But I quickly put it to the back of my mind and moved on. Iām very flaky but I think Iāll target the Cork marathon. and I could maybe do the Wexford half marathon in April as part of the build up. A nod to both sides of my family.
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I might be doing the Wexford half myself with a lad I work with. Itās supposed to be a nice flattish course. You could do with easing off a bit over Xmas to give your body a break if your coach allows it.
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@Bandage if you did want a bit of a taste of the hills this would be a lovely intro on your parents doorstep. IMRA membership is a tenner for the year and race entry usually 7 euro. Ridiculously cheap
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@Mac they were advertising Wicklow (March) and Wexford (April) at the Clontarf half recently. Not fully au fait with all the regulatory bodies and other (un)authorised types that organise races but these 3 seem to fall under the same body/organiser. Talk was there is a new route in Wexford for April but still meant to be flat enough.
Havenāt been out in Forth Mountain in years - St Martinās territory - but we used to cycle out as kids and play in a disused quarry. Think the council invested in it in recent years and there are a few different routes/walks now with proper trails and paving in places too. It was a staple for my auld pair during lockdowns to take walks out there. I donāt think running up mountains has captured my imagination yet, but Iāll probably come around to it eventually.
Clontarf, Wicklow and Wexford are indeed organised by the same crowd. Theyāre part of a trilogy. The medal you get for finishing each one slots alongside the medals from the other 2 to form 1 big medal as I understand it.