Very Pink Run Cork 2026 - Breast Cancer Ireland 5k and 10k

What to Expect

The Very Pink Run is Breast Cancer Ireland’s flagship fundraising event, and Cork is one of three stops on its 2026 calendar alongside Dublin and Kilkenny. The Cork leg takes place at The Arena, MTU, on Bishopstown Road on Sunday 6 September 2026, with both a 10k and a 5k on the programme. It is designed as an inclusive, family friendly event: participants can run, jog, walk or wheel either distance, and the atmosphere leans more towards a mass participation “pink tribe” gathering than a competitive race.

All funds raised go towards Breast Cancer Ireland’s ongoing research programmes and awareness work. The Cork date falls at the tail end of the 2026 series, which opens at Leopardstown in Dublin on Saturday 29 August and continues at Kilkenny Castle Park on Sunday 30 August, so it is effectively the closing event of that run.

Many participants take part as part of a workplace, school or family team wearing pink, and the run has become a recognisable fixture of Cork’s early autumn calendar rather than a one-off charity event. Breast Cancer Ireland uses proceeds from the whole series to fund research fellowships and awareness campaigns nationally, so money raised at the Cork leg feeds into the same pool as the Dublin and Kilkenny events rather than being ring-fenced locally.

Good to Know

• Sunday 6 September 2026, at The Arena, MTU, Bishopstown Road, Cork.
• Both a 10k and a 5k are on the programme; start times had not been published as of early August 2026, so check verypinkrun.ie closer to the date.
• Open to runners, joggers, walkers and wheelchair participants of all abilities.
• Entry fee applies; register in advance through verypinkrun.ie.
• Proceeds support Breast Cancer Ireland’s research and awareness work.

Getting There

MTU’s Bishopstown campus sits on the western side of Cork City, off the N22 Bishopstown Road, roughly 4km from the city centre. It is served by regular Bus Éireann and city bus routes from the centre, and the campus has its own car parking for event days, though arriving early is recommended given the numbers expected for a race morning.