Carlow Town parkrun - Every Saturday

What to Expect

Carlow Town parkrun is a free, timed 5km event held every Saturday morning at 9.30am on the Barrow Track, directly opposite Carlow Town Park on Barrow Street. It is open to all standards and all ages, and parkrun’s own description of it is deliberately broad: runners, joggers and walkers are equally welcome, and there is no entry fee and no membership beyond a single free registration before your first ever parkrun. The event is run entirely by local volunteers under the parkrun Ireland banner.

The course is measured at 5,000m with a professional measuring wheel and runs as an out-and-back along the Barrow Track beside the river, finishing with a lap of Carlow Town Park. It is flat and traffic-free, which makes it manageable for buggies, for children running with an adult and for anyone tackling a first 5km, while still being fast enough to attract club runners chasing a weekly time. A run director gives a short briefing before the start, which is worth listening to if you are visiting. Every finisher needs a scannable personal barcode, printed or on a phone, to be scanned at the finish funnel - forget it and you will not get a time. Results go online within a few hours. Volunteers are always needed and the roster is open to anyone.

Good to Know

• Every Saturday at 9.30am, year-round, weather permitting
• Venue: the Barrow Track, Barrow Street, Carlow, opposite Carlow Town Park
• Free to take part; register once at parkrun.ie and bring your barcode every week
• 5km, flat, traffic-free; out and back on the Barrow Track plus a lap of the town park
• Suitable for walkers as well as runners; buggies welcome
• Recurrence: weekly, every Saturday - check parkrun.ie/carlowtown for cancellation notices

Getting There

The Barrow Track is on Barrow Street, directly across from Carlow Town Park, a five to ten minute walk from the centre of Carlow town and from Carlow railway station, which has regular Irish Rail services on the Dublin Heuston to Waterford line. Carlow is on the M9 motorway, roughly an hour from Dublin and 45 minutes from Kilkenny, and Bus Eireann serves the town from both. On-street parking and the town park’s own car park are close by for anyone driving in.