Irish Mountain
Running Association

The "longest hardest high level route"

AuthorDateMessage
Conor MurphyApr 12 2021, 10:43pmIt looks like we have 2 runners who will take on what Paddy Dillon described as the longest hardest high level challenge in the island in his book "The Mountains of Ireland". It's a 91.5km, 7,640m overall ascent summit-to-summit traverse over 50+ mountains in the Dunkerrons and Mangertons across some brutal terrain...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1328420757249671/permalink/3896464360445285/
Warren SwordsMay 6 2021, 11:24amThis is happening today and there's a fancy tracker. Joe O'Leary and Kevin Leahy taking it on from 11am today.

Nice to see a new long distance challenge starting.

http://live.primaltracking.com/paddydillon21/?fbclid=IwAR2EKNxS1kcdAVAsEe_ZB6cxK7HpG8YnjA9t-pLpTCuPayuO8u_zbceOKaQ
Thomas RocheMay 6 2021, 5:11pmBest of luck lads. Great to finally have some dot watching
Linda O'ConnorMay 6 2021, 8:43pmVery best of luck lads, yer motoring...
Brian KitsonMay 6 2021, 11:42pmThe lads seem to be blazing their way through this challenge. Well over half way there.

Good luck, boys.
Conor MurphyMay 7 2021, 9:31amStill out there, still running, but very near the finish now!

Not sure how they crossed the Mangertons at night, west of the summit is just hours of fighting through boulder fields, heather, bog and brutal terrain.
Brendan LawlorMay 7 2021, 10:49amIt looks like Joe and Kevin have completed the first Iveragh Traverse.. congratulations to them and looking forward to a local update !
Conor MurphyMay 7 2021, 1:05pmPhotos of Kevin and Joe on the Cork and Kerry Trail Runners Facebook page.

It's not just a new route, but a new 24 hour challenge! We'll crunch numbers over the weekend but Kevin and Joe ran for around 22 hours, facing sunburn and windchill, over 47 summits, 85km, 7,500m overall ascent across rock, bog and heather covered boulder fields with no paths or trails. A landcsape that is described by mountainviews.ie as "astonishingly rough" taking on what Paddy Dillon called the "longest hardest high level route in Ireland".

Sooooo...who's next?
Conor MurphyJun 8 2023, 3:55pmShane Lynch setting off at 4.30am this Monday, 12th June
Niall GibneyJun 8 2023, 6:18pmBest of luck Shane !