Gaelforce 10K Howth 10k
Howth, Dublin
10 Oct 2026
⚠ Start times change frequently. Always check with race organiser or their website for this year's confirmed start time before travelling.
Course map
Map based on 2025 route
⚠ This map is for indicative purposes only — routes can change, or be reversed, year to year. Check with the race organiser for this year's confirmed map.
Elevation profile
About this race
Gaelforce 10K Howth starts in a field beside the Deer Park Golf Club buildings on the Howth peninsula and finishes nearby, close to Howth Castle halfway up the golf club driveway. The looped route climbs onto Howth Hill, taking in the summit known as the Ben of Howth, with two separate ascents of its steep terrain over the course of the race. Runners cross a genuine mix of surfaces, including grassy tracks, rough trail paths, woodland ground and short stretches of sealed road, making sturdy trail shoes a sensible choice. From the higher sections there are sweeping views out over Dublin Bay and the surrounding coastline. The course is hilly and technical rather than flat, reflecting its billing as the toughest leg of the Gaelforce 10K Trilogy, though it remains accessible to first-time trail runners as well as competitive athletes chasing the elite wave prizes.
Course profile & record eligibility
World Athletics record-eligibility rules cap net elevation loss at 1m per km of race distance, and require the start and finish to be no more than 50% of the race distance apart — both meant to stop a course gaining an unfair edge from downhill grade or a point-to-point tailwind. This is based on this course's recorded elevation and GPS data, not an official measurement or certification.