9 of the best 5k runs in Ireland
Finding a 5k run near you is a good thing to do whether you’re fundraising for charity or not. 5k is a brilliant distance to start running for all abilities – whether you’re a running novice or already love pounding the pavements. And it’s a healthy habit the entire family can enjoy.
If you do want to run a 5k to fundraise for charity, there’s events up and down the country you can get involved with and it’s a great way to get donations for your good cause.
Parkrun Ireland
Parkrun is a nationwide run which, as the name suggests, takes place in parks up and down the country. The 5k event takes place on Saturday mornings, with a junior parkrun of 2k taking place on Sundays.
- Where: Parks nationwide
- When: Saturday mornings
- Entry fee: Free
Run in the Dark Dublin
The Run in the Dark series is an event that you can enter physically in Dublin, Cork, Belfast or London – but people also take part in it globally. Racers run in the dark with red flashing armbands on at the start of November.
Where: Dublin
When: TBC
Entry fee: TBC
Run Forest Run 5k Series
The Run Forest Run 5k events are a series of runs taking place across the country, including Gosford, Tollymore, Antrim and Castlewellan. They are a brilliant introduction to trail running if that’s something you’d like to try.
Where: Various places
When: Multiple locations
Entry fees: £25
Cork Rebel Run
The Cork Rebel Run is a 5k (or a 10k) run which takes place in Bishopstown. The 2022 race took place at the end of October, marking the 10th year of the race.
Where: Cork
When: TBC
Entry fee: TBC
Croí Galway 5km Night Run
The Croí Galway 5km Night Run involves hundreds of people jogging through Galway at night. A brilliant one if you want a race that isn’t early in the morning, like a lot of running challenges are.
Where: Galway
When: 6th October 2023
Entry fee: €35
Cavan Christmas Dash
What better way to dust off the cobwebs after Christmas than a run on St Stephen’s Day? If that’s for you, then the Cavan Christmas Dash could be an answer. It takes place in Cavan town and the area surrounding.
Where: Cavan Town
When: St Stephen’s Day
Entry fee: €15
Donegal Airport Runway Run
The Donegal Airport Fun Run happened again this year after a three year hiatus. And how often can you say you’ve run down an airport runway? Runners ran this year in support of Ukraine.
Where: Donegal Airport
When: TBC
Entry fee: TBC
The Streets of Portlaoise 5k
The Streets of Portlaoise 5k is a fast, flat course populated by everyone from elite runners to joggers. The 2022 event took place in March.
Where: Portlaoise
When: TBC
Entry fee: TBC