IRELAND! Dublin 28km 2h24 [12/12/2019] Ireland/Éire
That was harder than expected! Uuuff! Went for the longest run of the year 2019 and left my footprint on the Irish soil! Dublin, or in irish, "Baile Átha Cliath" is in the end a small capital and filling it with 28km was actually something to be planned ahead.
Took a Ryanair flight from Gatwick and for a quick 9h day trip. As soon as I landed, I made a quick check if I had all ready and packed and asked a nice lady to take a video of me pointing Dublin on the wall .
Started from Dublin Airport at 10am and arrived to the City Centre after 43mins, to run along the river Liffey and crossing many bridges. The route from the airport to the city was just boring, not much to see, grey and only suburbs. Oh well, but I had to fill up many km to complete 28km.
Once arrived to the heart of the city I passed by the Cathedral, Dublin Castle, City Hall, the Aviva Stadium, to carry on on the coast line on the beach and then coming back to the centre passing through the Docklands, Samuel Beckett's Bridge, and finally, arriving to the majestic Trinity College where I managed to run a lap of the whole square. Amazing! At that point I was still at km 24, so I carried on to the O'Connell Monument, the Spire, and then Ha'Penny Bridge.
When I finally had only a couple of km to complete and still along the River, I finished my run just infront of Temple Bar. There, I kindly asked an irish Squirrel to take a video of my last steps. It was awesome but terribly hard on the last km, considering the weather was disgusting for pretty much the whole time.
Also here, I got lucky to have found a local gym who letted me enter to have a warm shower and not shivering from the cold rain of December.
Very very long route but really worth the fatigue.
Ireland you are off my list! COUNTRY #16
Well deserved pint of guinness and rest! "Slainte!"
