A Harriers success story- The Streets of Kilkenny takes place this week

From a fledgling idea in 2017, to an event that sold-out in little over a week in 2026. It’s safe to say the Streets of Kilkenny has been a runaway success!

The 5k run, hosted by the Kilkenny City Harriers (KCH), has captured the attention of people across Ireland and beyond. Now a staple on the national running calendar, this year’s race returns to the streets of the Marble City on its traditional Holy Thursday home (April 2).

“We’re in the third year in a row of sellouts,” said race director Nicholas Dunphy. “This time we sold out in less than seven days, while the T-shirts (shirts given to the first 650 people who registered) were all gone in less than 12 hours. It just goes to show the status and the stature of the race.

“Last year we sold out in January - the race wasn’t until mid-April,” he added. “But people are asking us as early as November and December about when entries for the Streets are going on sale.”

Read Next- Kilkenny duo Daly and Langton deliver gold at national championships

The demand for places in the Streets is as keen as ever, with runners of all abilities signing up to test themselves on the city centre course. But what is it that makes it so popular?

“I think it’s the fact that the course is fast and flat,” he said. “You’ve got a nice decline to take it out, which allows you to set off on a good pace and set up for a strong race.

“There’s a great atmosphere on the course - you’ve got music at the start line and throughout the course. As it is a city centre course, there’s always somebody on the side of the course to cheer people on the whole time.

“If you’ve ever stood at the bottom of the Parade, that moment when runners go around for the second lap is electric,” he added. “You can see down Rose Inn Street and the crowds are left and right in deep numbers - it’s just electric with the crowd that comes out to watch it. Whether it’s supporters or even people just out walking, everyone stops to see what all the buzz and fuss is about.”

And it’s not just the spectators who get a buzz from the race - so too do the participants, with newcomers getting the chance to rub shoulders with some of the elites, as top calibre runners flock to Kilkenny to participate.

“We were lucky last year to have Emily Sisson, a two-time American Olympian, in the field,” said Dunphy (Sisson broke the women’s record time when she crossed the line in 14:57).

“We’ve had Irish Olympians running it and some world-class athletes up at the front, but it’s always been a fight. We’ve never had a race where it’s just been that the first person home has run away with it - there’s always a fight which makes it a race to be involved in.

“We were also delighted last year to have one of our own KCH athletes come out on top - Cathal O’Reilly won the men’s race in 14:15, beating the 2024 winner and men’s record holder Pierre Murchan. With the calibre of athletes in KCH there’s a great chance of seeing a local winner - you want to see the black and amber singlet come around the corner first.”

Whether it’s providing a handsome purse for a top class field or giving every runner a chance to set a new personal best, the Streets has delivered in spades for the Harriers over the years.

“When you look at where it started, to where it is, the Streets has been an incredible adventure for the Harriers.

“The first year we started the Streets it was on the new bridge (the St Francis Bridge) that wasn’t even open at the time. While we have tried a couple of different courses, we couldn’t be any luckier than to have the one we have now.

“What a backdrop,” he said the beginning and end point of the race. “To start and finish close to Kilkenny Castle really adds to the atmosphere.

“And then it’s up to Langton’s for the after party,” Dunphy continued. “We’re blessed to have Langton’s as our main sponsor, so it’s great to be going there for an after party with music and food, giving people a chance to catch up and talk war stories, as Brian Maher would always call it. You have that community element after the race as well, where you can take off the singlet and have the craic with the other non-club people. That’s what makes the Streets a success story on the course and off as well.”