Quest Kenmare last weekend, for many, marked the start of new beginnings. A new dawn. Closing of a tiresome chapter that spluttered on and off for too long. It was 2 years and 1 week to the day, that the last Quest Kenmare was one before the country shut down due to the pandemic. Although [...]
Are you looking for something unique and challenging in 2022? Quest 12 Beara might just be the event to get you to push your limits! Quest 12 is a one-day individual unsupported adventure race across the uncharted territory of the Beara Peninsula in West Cork. You will run across the Caha Mountains and the Beara [...]
Last weekend, was a busy one. Padraig headed to Fearmanagh Adventure Race and I to The Worlds End Triathlon in Castleconnell Rowing Club, Limerick. Why Castleconnell you may ask? Well after months of coaxing from the brother, an exiled Dub rower, now living in Killaloe, I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't [...]
5 am, the alarm was off! I had a reasonable night’s sleep, so was feeling ok for the mammoth task ahead. Makeshift breakfast followed by stretching and last minute packing of the hydration vest for the day ahead. Final check at the car (I must be forgetting something!) and off to the race start. There [...]
At Kayathlon, we are lucky enough to get invited to some of the most beautiful, scenic parts of the country, to take part and savor these great events that take place. In a full, no Covid year, you can imagine there is barely a spare weekend over the season. Pre 2020, there was up to [...]
2020 Year in Review By now, we would have had our review long written and posted but trying to sum up 2020 has been quite the task. It has been a year full of turmoil, change and upheaval. A year of self discovery and resourcefulness. A year truly like no other. Usually our end [...]
Stone walls and the grass is green!!! We all have rituals of some shape or another. For me, it's car packed, Spotify on, Gaelforce West awaits, that can only mean one thing...the Saw Doctors and the "N17" will be the first song of choice as I leave home. Stupid I know, but it is what [...]
With everything that's going on at the moment and with not much racewise to look forward to we thought we would use this opportunity to remember the great days out we had in the past. First up, Quest 12/24. Why this race? Well this weekend marks exactly one year from its last running. For those [...]
We headed to Dublin Castle to take on the Art O'Neill Challenge in aid of Dublin-Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team. The AON is a 53km(ish) self-navigated foot race from Dublin Castle through the Dublin/Wicklow mountains to Baravore Car Park in Glenmalure, Co. Wicklow, Ireland that starts at midnight. Dave & Greg and 198 other nutters took [...]
Back in February we were delighted to share the exciting announcement that premium tyre manufacturer Continental had agreed to be title partner of the Irish National Adventure Race Series in conjunction with Series founders Multisport Adventure Ireland and promotion partner Kayathlon. This was a huge boost for our sport and there were brilliant prizes up for [...]
There aren’t too many people out there who look at Irelands toughest Adventure Race (The Race in Donegal – 250km of running, cycling and kayaking in 24hrs) and think “I wonder if I ask nicely will they let me do 2 back to back loops of the course”…It takes a certain type of athlete/gobshite to [...]
2019 is the first year that I haven’t played GAA in over 20 years and to say I was at a loose end was an under-statement!! I had it in my mind at the start of the year to go running, what or where I was not sure but I decided I would target a [...]
Go back 12 months...I cross the line. I have done it. I'm bo!!oxed but I'm buzzing. 13hrs 10 mins. I didn't make the 12 hours but zero fups are given. The high lasts for weeks on end. But slowly it begins to eat away at me. I need to get under the 12. That was [...]
A 7:30 am start from Waterford had me arriving in Kinnity around 9:30 for a second crack at the Off The Bloom (Elite) race. Last year the race had been a last minute decision, after myself and my good friend/fellow racer Ian O’Connell decided that it was too long to wait for a race between [...]
It was that time of the year again, where I literally take the plunge into the world of triathlon. The King of Greystones Charity Triathlon (try-a-tri) to be exact. Roll back 15 months or so, I decided after a glass or 2 too many of vino to sign up for the race. What's so crazy [...]
The call was made late on the eve of the race on the back of a long couple of weeks hard training and racing. The body was tired and sore but the word on the racing circuit was the Race2Glory was a unique event and the lure was too much to resist. Plenty of time [...]
Glendalough, like for so many others, it's where it all began for me. It was here back in 2016 when an out of shape ex GAA player first cut his teeth into Adventure Racing not realizing what would happen next. It had been 6 months to the day since I last raced and that was [...]
On the face of it the 59km Expert course doesn’t seem overly daunting, there are longer courses out there on the Adventure Racing calendar, but don’t be fooled, this is one of the toughest course you will take on...8 cramp inducing stages, 1,000m of climbing over 40k cycling, 800m elevation gain on 4 quad burning [...]
The devil whispered, 'you cannot withstand the storm' to which the warrior replied 'I am the storm'. I have been waiting my whole life for an ultra like this. Brutal, tough, unforgiving. This is my perfect battleground. After a DNF in the Jurassic Coast 100, I knew I would have to do some serious training for [...]
Sea2Summit saw 2,700 sign up to take on Croagh Patrick and all Westport could throw at them. One of these brave souls was Westport Hotel Groups very own Maria Fahy who decided to take her first steps into Adventure Racing. Let's see how she got on. Maria's Report I started a beginners running group with [...]
So a couple of issues back, I posted an article on the 10 toughest mountains to be found on the adventure racing calendar. The list itself, was hotly debated over a few post race libations. The list was compiled in reference to races completed by those who took part in the discussion. However, there was [...]
Gaelforce North - My end of season race by Jane Merrigan It was the final race of the season for me, to complete the trio of medals that had enticed me all year, and it would be my longest distance race this year. Training had been spot on, and up to this point, I [...]
The scene was set. The months of prep were done. Nutrition was dialed in. It was time. Time to step up to the next level. Quest Adventure Series had announced back in 2017 that they were upping the ante. There were calls from the more seasoned adventure racer that they wanted something bigger, tougher, harder. [...]
Gaelforce West Ultra is a brand new event in the adventure racing calendar and hopefully it is here to stay!!! Those good folks at Gaelforce don’t mess around, this was never going to be a walk in the park and with an expected finish rate of less than 50%, those brave enough to take it [...]
It was 6am. Dave Gowan & I sat on the transfer bus, waiting for it to fill up before we were to head off to the rendez-vous point. We were decked out in the brand new team kit but something wasn't right. I was having problems with my socks. When I looked down I was [...]
Let the Adventure Begin! Here at Kayathlon, we often wax lyrical about an adventure race being more than the actual race itself. Well this weekend we headed for Quest Wales and it certainly didn't lack in the adventure stakes. The road/boat trip was well, simply put, epic! The following events I'm about to write [...]
A fantastic event, a glorious day in Wexford and a post-race BBQ, what else do you want? Actually, the only thing missing were those famous Wexford strawberries, but we’ll forgive the organizers on that one! This race is a must for any Adventure Racer, the 7 steps is well renowned as one of the toughest [...]
19k Challenge Route Report by Padraig O'Connor I had big plans for Glendalough this year. The 57km expert route in 2016 was one of my earlier Adventure races and while I enjoyed it I hadn’t enough training done and it turned in to a slog at the end, 2017 and again training wasn’t what [...]
The Race 2018 – a 250 km unsupported endurance adventure race across the rugged landscape of North West Donegal. To finish competitors have to complete 15km of kayaking, 166km of cycling, 5km of mountain running and 64km of road and trail running. It’s called the hardest endurance event in Ireland and for good reason….but it’s [...]
I decided to kick off my adventure racing season with Quest Kenmare. I knew that I had put in a solid winter of training and attempted to address my weaknesses from last season. I started regular strength and conditioning classes in a bid to develop glutes of steel and bullet- proof my body against injury. [...]
All week I watched the weather, worrying about rain, wind, frost and even snow. If you are familiar with the Dublin mountains, they tend to have their own eco-system. Where the rest of the capital may be drenched in sunshine, the Dublin mountains can be slow to loosen the grip of recent weather fronts. As [...]
As a last minute entry to the Art O’Neill Challenge I probably wasn’t taking it quite as seriously in the weeks leading up to it as I should have. There were 5 of us that were planning on running together, safety in numbers and with me as the designated navigator! We managed to squeeze in [...]
Last Saturday morning saw two members of Team Kayathlon, Greg & Padraig, take on Westport's Sea2Summit. From a top 20 finish to a mid-pack finish after being plagued by punctures. Read how the guys got on below. Top 20 Target Heading down to Westport for Sea2summit has become a bit [...]
All roads head west this weekend for Sea 2 Summit, the final event of the Adventure Racing calendar for 2017!!! Sea2Summit has 2 routes, the longer Supreme route and the shorter Spirit route. Both routes are fast and for the most part on sealed road (except for the Croagh Patrick section). The first and last [...]
With Cork suffering the worst of the effects from hurricane Ophelia, there was a big doubt over SCAR actually going ahead this year. An email from the organisers after the storm indicated that roads were blocked, 50+ trees down and a real danger that, if held on the original date, more trees or debris from [...]
The Wild Atlantic Way showed its power and force this weekend as over a 1000 competitors headed for Quest Achill. Due to severe winds the kayaking section had to unfortunately be cancelled but it didn't take away from the race as there was now a new unscheduled obstacle to overcome... No matter which route you [...]
Trim was the destination as I loaded the bike in to the car and set off for the inaugural Boyne Adventure Race. After dropping the bike at the drop zone I headed for the start area. This was in a great location in front of Trim castle, The Race around Ireland start was getting set up [...]
Off The Bloom Adventure Race – Sport Course A last minute opportunity to take part in the Off The Bloom adventure race popped up on Friday evening and I jumped at it, and was I glad I did...it’s a cracking event which is sure to only grow and grow. I packed up the car Saturday [...]
Our man Padraig O'Connor flew the Irish Flag on the RedBull 400 Challenge... And here is how it went down or Up in this case!!! I stood in the starting area, 75 other competitors beside me of every age and nationality…and all looking a lot fitter then me and like they knew what they were doing, [...]
Last weekend, at Moxie, I took the plunge in the world of the expert distance races with the big hitters of adventure racing. Well it's safe to say I wont be jostling for podium positions there. This route was called the Moxie Pro (53km route) and it lived up to the billing... Moxie noun [...]
The wind has calmed and the dust has started to settle after DAR Dingle. What a race! Highly regarded as one of the toughest races on the calendar and again, with the extra help of gale force 8 winds, it certainly didnt disappoint. The conditions were so severe, the kayak stage had to be cancelled but [...]
The first major adventure race of year "Killary Gaelforce Dublin" is complete. If it was your first, I suspect you are both buzzing and sore. You are probably rerunning the events of the race, the cycle, the trek to the summit of Kippure, the kayaking on Blessington and that feeling of crossing the finish line as [...]
