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sport · Sunday 27 September 2026 · Various 
Ballylinan Half Marathon
At Ballylinan · Ballylinan, Co. Laois
At Ballylinan · Ballylinan, Co. Laois
The Village Run is one of those annual fixtures that genuinely earns its reputation. Now in its third year at the same late-September slot, this community road race in Ballylinan draws runners from across Laois, Carlow, and Kildare for a flat, fast course that suits everyone from first-timers to those chasing a personal best ahead of the Dublin Marathon. Four distances - three-quarter marathon, half marathon, 10k, and 5k - mean a family group can all turn up together and each pick the right challenge.
Registration and bib collection open at Ballylinan GAA club from 08:30. The three-quarter marathon sets off at 9:30, the half marathon at 10:00, the 10k at 10:30, and the 5k at 10:45, so there is a steady stream of starters throughout the morning rather than one crowded gun start. The courses run through the surrounding south Laois countryside on roads that are genuinely flat - unusual for a rural Irish race, and a big part of why this event suits PB attempts. All distances are chip timed. Cash prizes go to the first, second, and third male and female finishers in each race, and the event is open to walkers as well as runners. The atmosphere tends to be relaxed and local; this is community fundraising done well, not a commercial production.
Ballylinan sits in the south of Co. Laois, roughly 15 km from Carlow town and about 90 km from Dublin via the M9 and N78. By car, take the M9 south from Dublin, exit at junction 4 towards Castledermot, then follow the R430 west into Ballylinan. Parking is available at Ballylinan GAA club, which is also the race HQ. There is no direct bus service to the village, so most people drive or get a lift. Car-sharing with other runners is worth arranging if you are coming from further afield.
Ballylinan is a quiet village that comes alive on race day - the local club and community make a real occasion of it. The south Laois landscape around here is gentle rolling farmland with the Barrow valley to the east. There is more to see in Ballylinan and across Co. Laois.
Heading to Ballylinan in Ballylinan? Laois has plenty more to see. Read the Ballylinan area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.