A common rivalry is Ballybofey and Derry but today we’re not talking about soccer, today we’ll compare the half marathons on the basis of value for money, route and incline. The Ballybofey run is set in the first week of October versus Derry’s which is normally the first week of September and what a difference a month makes! In the space of a month it went from dry cool mornings to dark mizzly days which makes all the difference when you’re facing 13 miles.
The route of the Ballybofey run is scenic compared to Derry’s route which is a combination of built up, residential and country areas. I found Ballybofey’s route far more enjoyable, possibly because I’m familiar with the roads we ran on and I knew what was ahead of me and more importantly, how much farther the finish line was! But in Derry’s defence, their run has more statutory resources to close off roads and employ stewards which means I’d consider Derry to be a far safer route to run. In Ballybofey you had to deal with cars trying to overtake runners and admittedly it seriously knocked my confidence and concentration when running.
In terms of the incline, I preferred the Ballybofey run. Ballybofey is mostly flat and the hills of Ballybofey are far more sharp than those in Derry but that’s a good thing, you’re up them before you feel the pain! It’s far better than Derry’s long low inclines which feel like they could go on forever and your legs are going to fall off afterwards. If anyone has tried to run over the Foyle bridge, you’ll know exactly what I mean!
Comparing the swag bag for the two runs, I think the Ballybofey medal and half zip is far more appealing. The medal is a grey steel color which details the rugged landscape of Donegal paired with a beautiful purple and green ribbon. The Derry medal this year was a basic gold medal with contrasting blue and green colouring with looked very mismatched but the medal details the four bridges that the participant has to run over to complete the half marathon.
The community support is without a doubt, better in Derry. The swarms of Derry people step out to support the runners and not just the fastest runners I was at the very back of the pack and I must’ve seen 300 supporters! The route was lined with supporters who had signs and sweets and cheered out motivational chants. Now I’m sorry to say this, but before I ran the Ballybofey half, I never knew it existed! In my home town I had no clue that such an impressive race was being held which stands to the fact that there were very few supporters on route which is a stark contrast to the Derry run. It meant that we runners had to draw motivation and support from each other. When overtaking someone you’d give them a cheer ‘come on you’re going rightly’ or ‘fair play to ya you’re fairly motoring now’ or vice versa which was such a heartwarming experience, there was no competitiveness just camaraderie and support amongst one another.
And finally, value for money. Let’s get down to the facts and figures here now!
It cost £27 to run in the Waterside half with a service fee of £1.62. In that you got your entry fee, a medal, a Lycra T-shirt and some refreshments after the run -water bananas and mars bars.
It’s would’ve set you back €49 to run in Ballybofey excluding the €3.00 service charge which may seem steep but hear me out.
For €49 you receive, your entry fee, a 1/4 zip sports top, a medal, a downloadable certificate and some serious refreshments in Jackson’s hotel after the race and the use of toilet facilities in the hotel rather than a portaloo which was the case in Derry. I would happily pay the extra couple of euros for a more attractive medal some hot food after your run and the comfort of hotel facilities.
So in short, the hills of Donegal trump Derry once again. Even my dog Benj thinks so.
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