I'm coming to Dublin for the Marathon, staying at the Gresham on Upper O'Connell St. with the American Arthritis Foundation's Joints in Motion program. I am the only participant to register from my area so I'm a bit nervous about arrangements in Dublin.

Race number pickup and the expo is at Main Hall in Ballsbridge - how far is that and is there public transportation?

There is a breakfast run for international participants saturday morning at Westwood Health and Fitness Club in Clontarf , adjacent to Fairview Park. - again how far and is there public transportation?

I've been so concentrated on the physical preparation for my first marathon that I'm just really getting around to trying to figure out logistics!

kathy

Since you've had no replies, I'll "top" you with a facetious question:

Does the Dublin Marathon consist of 26 hrs and 385 minutes of beer drinking?



Best wishes,

Rex

Hi Kathy,

To get from The Gresham (which is on O'Connell Street in the city centre) to the RDS in Ballsbridge is about 3 or 4kms. To get there, you can either take a DART from Connelly Station to either Sydney Parade or Sandymount stations, or you can get a bus from O'Connell Street to just outside the RDS (the bus driver will tell you where to get off). The buses are the 5, 7 or 7A. You will see timetables on www.dublinbus.ie.

To get to Clontarf you can take the DART to Clontarf Dart Station, or the 130 bus from Abbey Street (just off O'Connell Street). I'm not sure exactly where Westwood in Clontarf is (I'm a member but use their gym in Leopardstown which is the other side of the city). Their website is www.westwood.ie if you want to take a look.

Best of luck with the race!

The Westwood in Clontarf is easy to get to. Take like Siobhan stated the 130 ot any bus 29? going to the Howth Road from the quays 1 street up from the 130 stop on Abbey Street. Ask the driver to let you off at the nearest stop to Westwood.

lso you can take the dart train I thin 2 stops and it lets you off just beside the gym. It's a nice place we saw the world cup games there and its huge. Cost is approx 1.35 euro (Bus). All are easily accessable and they will probably arrange you to go in groups any3ay so don't worry.

Congrats and good luck on the Marathon.

Rex, while the Dublin marathon is a traditional marathon, I DO have a friend from Belfast meeting me there who promises to bike ahead of me the last few miles waving a Guinness to motivate me to finish!

Cailin, Thanks so much for the specific directions - exactly the info I wanted! I also looked at the facilities of the Clontarf Westwood - it looks beautiful! Could you ask at your gym if marathon participants can use the facilities that day - I'd love to cross-train with a bit of swimming - I'd bring a swimsuit to Ireland - a first for me!

SiobhanP, thank you also for the travel info. If the Dart stops right there I think that will be a great way of getting there - I'll check the website to compare prices. When I asked how to get to the breakfast run the people at the local branch of the arthritis foundation told me to take a cab - never the most economic way to travel!

Thanks again for the great help!
kathy

The gym IS fab. I haven't joined as it can be very busy at peak hours and is pricey but totally worth it. The pool is really nice. They also have a spa where you can get a massage, facial etc. I had a madssage there last year and wow it was fantastic! Ask the gym directly by mail if they would let you use the facilities...can't hurt!

I tried calling the fitness center to see if I could use the pool/gym/and to book a massage - it can only be done if a member goes with melt;

Kath - I'm sorry, I would offer to meet you but I am not in the city at all that weekend. You could just wait outside and ask a member on their way in if you could accompany them. I think you will have to pay about €15 to use the gym, but there's no restriction on how long you can spend there and you don't have to stay with the member - they can leave without you and it's no problem!

Thanks for thinking of me, Cailin. I think they might be enforcing their policy because it is the scene of the international breakfast run - and they certainly couldn't handle a couple thousand extras! I have found a place with massage for after the marathon - important to me because I need to fly home the day after the marathon - no recovery time!