Making a splash on Leeside

By Finnian Cox

This weekend is on course to be one of Cork’s busiest weekends as both roads and rivers are taken over by runners and rowers.

Both falling on the June bank holiday weekend, the Ocean to City festival and the Analog Devices Cork City Marathon will see thousands of athletes and spectators flocking to the county. Describing it as their biggest bank holiday ever, Ocean to City’s An Rás Mór will be returning to Cork Harbour on 30 May, with paddlers and rowers coming from all over Europe to compete.

The race, which runs from Crosshaven into Cork will see 660 competitors tackling the 28km distance, passing Spike Island, Cobh, Monkstown and Blackrock before finishing in the city centre.

Running as part of the wider Cork Harbour Festival, the Rás is just one of the attractions.

A returning favourite is the replica of the tall ship Nao Santa María, which will be moored right next to the new race hub on Kennedy Quay.

Last year over 4,000 visitors hopped aboard the copy of the ship used by Christopher Columbus on his first expedition across the Atlantic in 1492, giving a unique insight into the life of sailors at the time.

Though an unusual sight in a modern city, the Nao Santa María won’t be alone on the water, as more than 30 different types of traditional and contemporary boats join her.

Currachs, skiffs, gigs and other heritage rowing boats will cruise alongside dragon boats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and high-performance racing craft.

This year’s festival also includes over 100 different events, including tours of Spike Island, Fort Camden Meagher and Elizabeth Fort as well as scenic harbour boat tours and a seafood trail.

As well as a busy year for the Rás Mór, this year’s marathon is expected to be just as much of a record breaker in terms of attendance on the following day.

Race organisers say the expected number of runners to hit the city’s roads this year is a whopping 12,300, with a further 25,000 spectators, which led to the decision to alter this year’s route.

Race director Eamon Hayes explained that this year, the starting line will be the Grand Parade as opposed to the usual kick-off point of St Patrick’s Street, with the new route avoiding narrower roads.

These decisions were made largely with safety in mind, to accommodate the high volume of people involved.

“We’ve an extra 1,000 runners in it this year,” he explained. “It’s not really about the people fitting in, it’s more for your ambulances getting in and out.”

“We’ve got athletes coming from all over, something like 30 different countries, as well as every different county in Ireland,” he said.

The excitement doesn’t end at the finish line for either event. For the first time ever, Ocean to City will be setting up a ‘race hub’ on Kennedy Quay, where spectators can soak up a festival atmosphere while watching the final stretch of the race.

It will feature free family entertainment, live music, food halls and a pop-up playground, with live music continuing into the evening.

This article was produced with the support of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme funded by Coimisiún na Meán.