Tymon Park Race on Sat 20th April 2013

Many thanks to all who came and enjoyed our final spring Urban Trail Series event

This race will take you all over the park with two crossings of the M50 footbridges.

The course will be fully marked with arrows and tape with marshals at key points, however, be vigilant!

Sign-on for those per-registered onlinewill be possible from 9.30 to 10.30am on Saturday morning.

Reg on day only possible before 10.15am (€25)

You will pick up your number with timing chip at registration marquee which is adjacent to the lake at the Wellington Lane entrance to Tymon Park - Map Below Or CLICK HERE FOR MAP.

In line with our environmental awareness ethos we would ask participants to cycle, car pool or use public transport where possible as traffic delays are frequent in this area at weekends.

Buses serving the park are the 150, 65 and 54A - Bus Timetables HERE

Parking will Not Be Available at Spawell Complex - Clamping is possible for anyone parking there!

Race Sign-on/ Start/ Finish is only 4 mins jog / 8 mins walk away from Recommended Race Parking

Recommended Race Parking is at National Basketball Arena Complex - Map Below or HERE for details!

Follow Race Parking & National Basket Ball Arena brown signs from Jct 11 of M 50

Parking facilities at Faugh's/ St Jude's GAA/ Templeogue United Soccer clubs are not for participants

The Tymon Car Park beside Faugh's where the start/finish will be located opens at 10 am but we wish to keep this free for regular park users so please comply with parking signage and marshals.

2 Lap race will start at 11.00am

1 Lap race will start at 11.25am

Water, fruit cake and fresh fruit will be supplied at the finish line

You will be able to leave a small bags or keys with us while you race but do not leave valuables

Trail shoes are recommended - Due to asphalt sections on M50 footbridges, you should not use spikes

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map

Prizes will be given out for top finishers (Top 3 and 1^st40+ & 50+)

Prizes are sponsored byspecialist running store Amphibian King who will be in attendance with some super running bargains on the day in Tymon Park

All prizewinners will also get hand crafted tankards supplied by Crannmor Pottery.

The Urban Trail Series is supported by Irish Runnermagazine

This URBAN TRAIL SERIES event is one of the great value events Organised By Outfront Events

This event would not be possible without the generous cooperation of South Dublin County Council

Tymon Park 2012 Long Race Results

Tymon Park 2012 Short Race Results

Photos Available HEREfromAction Photography

Pictures from Urban Trail Series 2011 race at Tymon Park are HERE

Tymon Park straddles the M50 between Knocklyon and Tallaght. It is true Urban territory. This race will take you all around the park , crossing the M50 via footbridge twice, ascending the two look-out points with views of Dublin city and the Dublin Mountains and will take you through some dense wood.

This race is a bag of tricks with consistent flats interspersed with some sharp inclines and gentle declines. It is constantly changing in view and terrain as you will go from open expanses to dense woods with some gnarly underfoot conditions. The gnarly sections are balanced out by some well maintained forest trails and grassland.

It is a true representation of what the Urban Trail Series aims to achieve- Pics of the 2011 Race HERE

About Tymon Park

Tymon Park is one of the premier parks in the South Dublin County Council administrative area. It has been managed by South Dublin County Council since 1994.It forms a greenbelt of over 300 acres between the established residential areas of Tallaght and Templeogue / Walkinstown.

Opened to the public in June 1986 by Councillor Ray Burke, T.D., it was later divided into two large parks when the M50 motorway was constructed through the centre. The eastern and western sections, thus created, were linked with a pedestrian footbridge near the Greenhills Road and another further south near the Tallaght / Templeogue Road.

The exact origin of the name Tymon, or Tigh Motháin (the officail Irish name) remains unknown although over forty variants of the name have been recorded for the area. A possible explanation is that the lands at Tymon may have been in the ownership of an Irish clan by the name of O'Motháin.

Implementation of the Plan

As land acquisition proceeded, the prearation of a layout for the new park was underway. The objective was to provide a greenbelt with active and passive recreational facilities while retaining the unique landscape character. The first priority was to enclose as much of the land as possible for protection and definition purposes. this was achieved by the erection of a low stone wall and railing and the design conceptincluded a similar style of entrance gates on the entire boundary of the park. For main entrances, this is an imposing design with large piers of 'Forticrete' blocks and steel gates. The first such entrance wasprovided in the early 1980s on the Tymon North Road and soon afterwards at the Greenhills Road Junction.

In 1981 the car park at Limekiln road was built but the grand entrance was not built until 1996. When the third car park was provided in 1989 at WillingtonLane, it too was designed with the impressive entrance.

Since the M50 was going through the middle of Tymon Park, the park became two large parks, Tymon Park (West) and Tymon Park (East). The original plan for the park envisaged three pedestrian bridges over the Western Parkway connecting both eastern and western sections. In December 1990 the first of these took the form ofa temporary bailey bridge, installed by the army. While the Governement approved funding for one bridge, there was considerable controversy over securing approval for a second bridge. However, this was finally approved and erected in 1991. One bridge is located near the Greenhills Road and another near the Tallaght Bypass at Balrothery.

Aerial View of Tymon Park & M50

With the establishment of South Dublin County Council in 1994, a re-examination of the development and management of Tymon Park was undertaken. The western section was generally regarded as being developed to a higher standard witha greater emphasis on passive usage compared with the eastern section where there was a concentration of playing pitches. The response was the initiation of a programme of works with the following objectives:

To create visual interest and landmark features within the park including high level viewing points to enhance views of the surrounding landscape, especially the Dublin Mountains.
To rationalise the provision of recreational facilities and provide for accessibility throughout the park for all user groups.
To eliminate the areas of dereliction and provide greater habitat (flora and fauna) diversity.

These objectives were facilitated to a large extent by the construction of new lakes in 1997 to provide a focus for the east side of the park and by the completion in 1999 - 2001 of the M50 motorway at Balrothery (Southern Cross Route), where some derelict land for road construction existed within the park. After the construction of the motorway, the park boundary was redefined with a low stone wall and railing. In addition, the park topography was changed significantly adjacent to the pedestrian bridges, to create viewing pointsover the park and across the city and as landscape features in their own right.

Trees, Hedgerows & Woodlands

Tymon Park is one of the best examples of the retention of hedgerows within the new landscape.

Water Features

An essential feature in all parks is water, and Tymon Park is fortunate to have a supply from the River Poddle which rises in Fettercairn, Tallaght, flows northwards through Tymon and towards the city where it enters the River Liffey near Wood Quay.