With the popularity of sky running gathering pace around the globe, the Gaelforce Sky Run (7 March) is the newest event to be slotted into the 2015 programme of adventure challenges from one of Ireland’s most experienced race organisers.
Gaelforce events, which began in 2006, are among the most prominent on the Irish adventure calendar, and this year there will be nine.
Whether it’s the famous Gaelforce West – one of the biggest adventure races in Europe – combining running, walking, kayaking and cycling (15 August); or the women-only events in Galway (25 July) and Wicklow (19 September); or the spectacular course through hidden Donegal (27 June); joining in means high personal drama, exhilarating achievement and undiluted joie de’vivre.
With two distances – 22 km and 12 km – the Gaelforce Sky Run is for experienced mountain runners and also those who are of reasonable fitness and want to take part in a sky run for the first time.
It takes in three peaks in the Maamturk Mountains in Connemara, along a stunning course accessible with special permission by local landowners for this event only.
The County Galway scenery is breathtaking and the sheer ruggedness of the area will merely add to the challenge the participants face.
Cash prizes of €1,000 are also up for grabs, and will be shared by the winning male and female.
The route starts and finishes at Killary Adventure Centre at the mouth of Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord, which is surrounded by spectacular mountain peaks.
After the race, sky runners will be greeted with homemade soup and a special event t-shirt.
The area is one of the picture postcard destinations along the Wild Atlantic Way, the longest defined coastal touring route in the world, which runs down Ireland’s west coast for 2,500km.
Following the post-race party, for those who like the great outdoors there’s an amazing diversity of things in the area to see and do.
They include many of Ireland’s most iconic natural attractions: Connemara National Park, the Burren, Croagh Patrick, as well as some of the best sea food, beaches and surfing in the world.
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