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sport · Friday 10 July 2026 · 8:00pm 
Tracton AC 4 Mile Road Race - Minane Bridge
At Tracton Arts and Community Centre · Minane Bridge, Co. Cork
At Tracton Arts and Community Centre · Minane Bridge, Co. Cork
The Tracton AC 4 Mile Road Race is one of those summer evening races that runners come back to year after year - a proper club event on quiet country lanes near the south Cork coast, starting at 8pm on a long July evening when the light is still good and the roads are empty. It draws competitive club runners chasing the prize fund alongside recreational runners doing their first road race of the summer, and the mix makes for a lively atmosphere at race HQ in the community centre afterwards.
The race is run on a professionally measured, Athletics Ireland accredited course (permit 26/213) on the roads around Minane Bridge. Race HQ is at Tracton Arts and Community Centre, and the start line is a 500-metre walk uphill from there - so budget a few minutes to get into position before the 8pm sharp gun. Number collection runs from 6pm to 7:30pm at HQ, which gives you time to warm up and look at the route.
The course itself rolls through rural south Cork lanes with glimpses of the coastline, mixing fast open stretches with a testing climb near the finish. Current course records stand at 20:23 (Nathan O’Leary, 2024) and 22:22 (Aoife Cooke, 2022) - a €50 bonus is on offer to anyone who can beat either of them. The overall prize fund runs three deep for men and women: €100, €75, and €50, with age-category prizes (U19 through to 80+) and wheelchair categories covered too. Water stations and first aid are on the course; post-race refreshments and the prize-giving are back at HQ.
Entry is capped at 500 and online registration closes at 4pm on race day - so it is worth booking early rather than assuming there will be space. Walkers are not catered for, and headphones are not permitted on the course for safety reasons.
Minane Bridge is roughly 20km south of Cork city, sitting just inland from the Carrigaline and Crosshaven peninsula. From Cork city take the N28 towards Carrigaline, then follow the R611 south; Minane Bridge is signposted from there. Parking is available at Tracton Arts and Community Centre and at the start area. There is no direct bus service to Minane Bridge, so a car or lift is the practical option.
Carrigaline itself is a short drive north and worth a look before or after the race - a busy market town on the Owenabue River estuary with good coffee and a handful of restaurants to sort out the post-race hunger. There is more to see in Carrigaline and across Co. Cork.
Heading to Tracton Arts and Community Centre in Carrigaline? Cork has plenty more to see. Read the Carrigaline area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.