Mountain Running

Fed up pounding on the pavements? Looking for a change of scenery? Well, then mountain running may be the sport for you.

With refreshing trails and mountain races from the Dublin mountains and beautiful forests of Wicklow to the highest peaks of Ireland and beyond.

Mountain running offers a unique and exhilarating experience for the adventurer in you.

There are currently more than 50 races on the annual hill running calendar with distances varying from short cross-country style races to multi-day mountain marathons, and from gentle sloping trails to treacherous descents.

Sometime you’ll be reduced to your hands and knees – in the world of mountain running there is a challenge for every preference and every runner.

There are hundreds of training routes on the Irish hills.

The best way to discover them is by joining up with other mountain runners and giving them a go:

surveying race routes, sharing training runs, or just going on an adventure in the hills.

Mountain running is suitable for all level of athlete. You can benefit from specific training, tailored for mountain running, to improve your agility, balance and co-ordination which are all important components in mountain running.

With the support of a trained coach, these important skills can be developed within the club to improve performance, enjoyment and injury-resilience on the hills.

Crusaders has a long tradition for mountain running and prospective hill runners can avail of advice on specific training, equipment, safety and navigation on the mountains.

For road and cross-country runners, mountain running is very effective cross-training, providing strength from the uphill and quick leg-turnover from the descents, as well as keeping your running varied and your feet off hard surfaces.

The Irish Mountain Running Association (IMRA) has an impressive website with detailed information on their events.

Through Crusaders you’ll be kept up-to-date on all the races and will have easier access to carpooling, as well as the company, for the trips to the remote parts of the country where some races are located. Most hill races feature a team competition where members are able to compete for Crusaders as a team.

For further information about getting involved in mountain running, feel free to join in at the track in Irishtown Stadium on a Tuesday evening (see training details) and ask us about it.

Alternatively you can email the club at crusadersathleticsclub@gmail.com with any queries.