The Piper's 5k
Killeshin, Laois
7 Aug 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
The Piper's 5K is a road race held in the picturesque foothills of Killeshin in County Laois, organised by the Killeshin Pipe Band. Killeshin is a small rural village situated approximately five kilometres west of Carlow town, nestled in the gently rolling hills on the Laois-Carlow border. The 5K course follows a fast, looped route consisting entirely of right-hand turns on the public roads around the village, starting and finishing at Killeshin Community Centre. Run on open roads with traffic management in place throughout, the course is well marked and marshaled by volunteers. The event has quickly grown into a popular fixture on the summer road racing calendar, attracting runners of all abilities. All finishers receive a custom Piper's 5K medal, and the first 250 adult registrants also receive a race t-shirt. Post-race atmosphere is enhanced by the involvement of the local pipe band community.
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.