On the back of 3 recent top podium finishes, local hotshot James Murphy says “he is not in it to win it” when asked about his local upcoming race. A lumberjack by trade, the current and defending 4 time winner of the annual adventure race, stated “Sure I’ll just be happy just to tip around and take in the views” playing down rumors of the extraordinary training regime he is apparently putting himself through.

Locals laid claim that James was spotted on numerous occasions, under the cover of darkness, heading up towards the style that gains you access to the great mountain range which is on the expert route of the upcoming race.

Ex coach and mentor Mike Hennessey, said

“Murph is a very single minded and focused athlete. Always has been, always will be. He stops at nothing to win”.

On asking why he no longer was his coach, he said he couldn’t put in the hours James was demanding in his relentless “Drive for 5” so we thought best if they parted company. He noted that he went “Dark and off the radar since they went their separate ways. He has cut all communications and even stopped logging his sessions on his Strava account”.

“I’d still see him every now and then but it would be frosty. Really, I do wish him well in all he is trying to achieve as I know he will give it yards come race day!”

Local butcher, funeral home and corner shop owner P. O’Leary, said “I have always bought my logs wholesale off James to sell in my shop but of late he had approached him saying he had surplice truck loads of freshly chopped wood. Stuff he did himself. Sure on any given night, I’d see him up the back field, behind his shed with an hatchet in either hand hammering away at it. Tis like a scene from Braveheart”.

The Giggle: Satirical bullsh!t in a world gone mad! Warning! Very strong likelihood the above events never happened.