Mountlucas parkrun | Massive Windmills
Introduction
The society we live in today is definitely climbing a mountain. On this mountain the wind bearing down on us is the lost in yesterday mentality that says drill baby drill for oil. The incline on that mountain we’re climbing is the cost of installing solar panels, building wind farms and considering hydrogen powered vehicles to name but a few energy transitions.
For over ten years now the Green energy transition long considered a left and liberal side of politics started cutting deals with there right conservative political enemy to get something meaningful done before our planet burns. Unfortunately the energy transition has burnt a hole in the pockets of just about everyone. Oil and gas are now very expensive and increasingly vulnerable to economic shocks. Transitioning to a heat pump will probably cost me about €17,000. That is a about two thirds the cost of me embarking on the seven continents marathon challenge. I’m torn between living and ensuring I continue to have a planet to live on. I’m not the only. Listening to the Irish Times political podcast this week a respected columnist spent the heat pump money on a wedding. I by contrast submitted a request for the brochure. That being said my solar panels cost €10,000 but they will lower my electricity costs by 50% for the next 20 years and the light is infinite.
I am starting to believe we need to extract the politics from the energy transition as parkrun has extracted the competitive only feeling from running 5k.
I do wonder if someone had approached Donald Trump with a way to lower his real estate energy bills by 30-50% annually, made no reference to what the technology was, who liked it and just kept the negotiations to the benefits to the Trump Organisation would Solar panels be in every one of his buildings worldwide within the next fiscal quarter.
I ponder if you could deploy the art of the deal mentality on a national scale and pitch the idea of a community keeping the profits from renewable energy in the locality to fund sports facilities and social care programs or as a way to fuel another tax cut in another big beautiful bill.
As I lined up in Mountlucas to set off for another parkrun I heard my son shout “spinner” and point excitedly at the windfarm I thought there is hope that green energy will generate universal excitement and enthusiasm.
Journey around the parkrun World
Julie and I have completed 49 different parkrun locations worldwide. Interestingly when we stopped off at the Bogs Dollop in Rhode Village for a delicious breakfast our host Ronan asked about our journey around the parkrun world. I told him we had 49 adventures so far but that we will have to do it all again anyway when the two children are older because they will definitely want to do them all again.
Course
Mountlucas parkrun on strava
Video Mountlucas parkrun 2026
Mountlucas parkrun video
Stroller safe
The course is largely run on gravel and it is on a wind farm so you will have the wind in your face, on your back at various points. Thankfully the buggy didn’t turn into a sail and push me off course but it got tough at times. Mostly the kids will need a hoodie or a jacket even if you are visiting during the summer as we were in 2026.
Live a Little
This parkrun is on a windfarm attending it is living your best life go for it.
Volunteers
If you would like to volunteer at Mountlucas parkrun please email mountlucas@parkrun.com
Almost every participant could have easily been a volunteer. Every second person asked where we had come from? How we were feeling today? Are the kids sleeping? Had we thought about going for a walk around by the fish bowl later? To a man or woman everyone finished by asking us to come back again for another visit. I couldn’t have felt more cead míle fáilte. When Edward and Clara are ready I will bring them back.
This was also the first parkrun I attended where the barcode scanning had its own dedicated hut
Conclusion
Wind farms are cool
Quote of the Week
A person who has not done one half his day’s work by ten o’clock, runs a chance of leaving the other half undone. Emily Brontë