Naas Half Marathon
2026 marked the inaugural Brendan's Running Club Half-Marathon which started and ended at Naas GAA. This was my first time in that part of Naas and they do have a nice set of grounds here. Every time I'm in Naas I'm reminded that the local train station - dubbed Naas/Sallins - is not actually in Naas so I had to get a short taxi from the station to make sure I wasn't wasting energy before taking on the 13.1 mile trial.
I didn't want to rely on trains being exactly on time so I arrived to the start line very early. I had about three hours to collect my number, walk to the nearby garage for a coffee and then sit to mentally prepare myself for the journey ahead.
So what did I do with that 3 hours? I watched My Cousin Vinny.
My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 comedy starring Joe Pesci that I didn't really know anything about going in. After grabbing my coffee and finding a nice, quiet spot in the corner of the GAA club, I just needed a movie that would keep me occupied for about 2 hours and I must have had this on my phone as an option for a recent flight.
I was immediately surprised to see Ralph Macchio in the film. I'm a big fan of the Karate Kid and I love Cobra Kai so that was a wonderful surprise. Immediately I was sitting forward thinking how neat a cast of Macchio, Pesci and Tomei make.
I love a courtroom drama - my bachelors is in Law after all - and I really enjoyed the tone of this film. It has a great mix of comedy amidst a very serious background. These two kids are accused of murder and we've all seen the huge number of documentaries that investigate the often misdirected laser focusing of a particular suspect that can lead to wrongful convictions and lengthy sentences for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
My Cousin Vinny is a wonderful movie with that deals with a very serious subject but manages to remain fun throughout.
With the credits rolling, it was time to make my way to the starting line. I was very worried about needing to pee during what I assumed would be almost 4 hours of struggle, so I forced myself to the bathroom and made my way to the back of the queue to wait for the whistle. I wasn't filled with confidence as I had been so sick in the weeks leading up to the starting line. Looking back at my first 10km last year, the difference in confidence was startling.
The nerves were running high as the race started a few minutes late. The rain was starting to trickle down, and I was just desperate to start putting one foot in front of the other. Finally, bang, we were off. The rain blissfully held off for the most part for the first 10km of the race and I found a good rhythm early on. I managed to get through the first half in fantastic time before my legs started to falter.
Early on there were some nice views, running along the canal and seeing parts of Naas that were new to me. Once we hit the long halfway stretch it became a bit blander and more exposed to the elements. The rain hit hard and I ended up soaked to the bone. With about 7km to go, I had to start mixing walking and jogging together. My progress slowed considerably but I was able to text Sarah with the positive outlook that I was looking at breaking 3 hours rather than closing in on 5 as I feared.
One thing I found with the course in general was that the signposting wasn't fantastic. I think the route could have been mapped in a way that was more intuitive. At around the 19km mark, a woman was passing me and asked which mile we were at. I answered and she said that she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere as her watch was saying she was at 24km. She had done an additional lap of the end path, turning right instead of left to reach the finish line. She was relaxed about it, but I'd imagine it was quite annoying. I wonder if the stewards assumed she wouldn't be at the finish line so quick and sent her the wrong way, either way she was flying along and passed me by to finish.
There was a small group of joggers that slowly caught up to me as I was mostly walking near the end. They very kindly offered me the last of their Haribo's. I'm not a big jelly person but those were some of the tastiest treats I've ever eaten in my life. The sugar was such a boost and helped me pick it up to a jog again as we neared the final bit of the race. I slotted in behind the jelly boys and we crossed the finish line.
Again, with the organisational aspect of the race, it actually wasn't immediately obvious where to get my medal, but I did get it eventually. It's a nice hefty medal and the first I've ever gotten from a race.
Ultimately, I don't feel particularly accomplished with this one. I went the distance, which matters most. My feet took a beating, and it was a few weeks before I was back to normal levels of mobility. With illness, I just wasn't able to prepare for this race the way I wanted to, and I want to tackle another half-marathon this year with the proper preparation. With the right preparation, I think I can break 2 hours.
I will.
