Achill Greenway parkrun

Achill Greenway parkrun is the westernmost of Mayo’s parkrun courses, a free, timed 5km run and walk that starts and finishes at the car park beside the playground in Achill Sound, right where the Great Western Greenway meets the island. Like every parkrun, it happens every single Saturday of the year, rain or shine, and it is open to walkers, joggers and runners of every ability.

What to Expect

The course runs entirely on the tarmac surface of the Great Western Greenway, Ireland’s longest off-road walking and cycling trail, which gives a flat, well-surfaced route with no traffic to worry about. It is a genuinely scenic 5km, with Achill’s hills and the waters around Achill Sound in view for most of the route. Every finisher gets a time, recorded through barcode scanning, and results are posted online within a few hours. First-timers need to register once on the parkrun website and bring a printed or saved barcode; after that, it is free every week with no need to book. Volunteers, drawn from the local running and walking community, marshal the course and run the finish funnel each week.

Getting There

Achill Sound is the gateway to Achill Island, connected to the mainland by the Michael Davitt Bridge. It sits about an hour’s drive from Castlebar via the N59 and R319. There is no rail service to Achill; Bus Eireann runs a limited service from Castlebar and Westport, but a car is by far the easiest way to arrive for a 9:30am Saturday start. Parking is available at the trailhead car park beside the playground.

Good to Know

• When: Every Saturday, 9:30am, year-round
• Distance: 5km, flat tarmac Greenway surface
• Price: Free; register once at parkrun.ie before your first run
• Venue: Achill Sound Greenway trailhead car park
• Organiser: parkrun.ie