Lough Talt Winter
Cloonacool, Ireland • 7 Feb 2026
Event details
The event takes place at Lough Talt in County Sligo on Saturday 7th February 2026. It is part of the North West Winter League. GPS use is not allowed. Race marking is limited to only major junctions. Event difficulty is listed as 3 (1,1,1) - Easy Terrain.
Distances
- 9.00 km long course
- 4.50 km short course (also used for juniors)
Course
The course is an out-and-back route. The first 2 km are uphill, with the first 1.2 km on a tar road with a grass middle. The remainder of the route is on a gravel trail. At 2.25 km the Frenchman’s grave marks the turning point for the short course and junior race. Long course runners pass through three turnstiles to enter the Lough Talt loop, keep right, follow the trail to the Mount Taaffe road, touch the gate, and return the same way. Runners are instructed to keep to the right-hand side of the trail to meet oncoming runners.
Logistics and safety
Mandatory kit is Level B - Standard: waterproof jacket, hat or buff, gloves, whistle, charged mobile phone with emergency number stored, and a foil blanket or bivvy bag. The exact kit to be carried may be finalised on the day and will be advised at registration. Participants should have a means to carry the kit. Random checks may be carried out and failure to have required items may lead to denied entry or disqualification.
Parking is at Joe Dan’s pub (P91PX2C); the race start is about 350 metres away. Use the Cloonacool road for warm up as the Ballina road is busier. Toilet facilities are at the adjoining Ox Mountain Cafe. Prizegiving is at Joe Dan’s / Ox Mountain Cafe (Drummartin, P91PX2C). No entry details have been added yet; entries for league events usually open a couple of weeks before the event. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.