What Are Race Categories for The Race Around Ireland?

The categories for the Race Around Ireland are Solo, 4-Person, 8-Person.  

 

Can Anyone Take Part?

The competitors in this event are not professional racers but ordinary people wishing to take part in not just a race but an adventure, an experience and a test of true human spirit.
 
This is an exceptionally tough event and because of the endurance required it is recommended that you do not enter the solo division unless you have completed at least one 24hour or 500mile cycle event.
 
The team events are also tough but don’t require the same level of extreme fitness and therefore with proper training and preparation anyone can complete the challenge. Make no mistake though, this is one of the toughest, most grueling events you will ever be lucky enough to be involved in.
 
Having said all that, we guarantee that the feeling of accomplishment when you finish the event will be second to none and one that will have you telling stories for a long time to come.

 
How Much Support Does Race Around Ireland Provide?

Race Around Ireland will oversee functions at the start and the finish and will recruit volunteers for each Time Station. Each Racer must provide their own support crew and support vehicles. A typical crew will have 8-12 people and 2-4 vehicles. It’s the responsibility of the crew to care for the racers by providing food, clothing, medical care, bicycle repair, massage, entertainment and directions.
 
Crewing for the Race Around Ireland Racers is as much of a challenge as riding is. It offers some immense rewards of seeing the country, building some lifelong friendships and the pride of getting your racer safely around the country. The Race Around Ireland website will also help racers advertise for crew.
 

What's a Time Station?

The Race Around Ireland route will have approximately 20 Time Stations which will be approximately 40 to 90 miles apart. At each Time Station, the racer must call into Race Headquarters and report their location and time. This information is posted to the RAI Race Coverage website which will allow fans and officials to track the race. Time Stations are going to be great places to watch racers come through and cheer them on.
 
Time Station locations can vary from someone's home, to bike shops, to parks, to the service stations. Most Time Stations will be staffed. The staff volunteers at time stations are invaluable in building awareness of the race in the local communities along the course. As racers pass through, the Time Station staff will help with motivation and most importantly will help racers and crews find services around the area.
 
If you'd like to help with a Time Station, make sure to Contact Us.
 

Will Racers Really Race Solo for 1350 Miles?

They will indeed. The Race Around Ireland is set to become one of the Worlds toughest endurance races. The Ultra Marathon Cycling Association (UMCA) have sanctioned the event and made it part of their World Cup series which will attract some of the World’s toughest cyclists in search of World Cup points.
 
Some extraordinary cyclists have already entered the event including 2008 Ultra Endurance World Cup winner Caroline Van Den Bulk, current Ultra Endurance World Cup Champion, Valerio Zamboni, one of our own top endurance cyclist Padraig Marrey and Commonwealth Games medalist Joe Barr.
 
The solo racers are set to become the stars of the Race Around Ireland. Very few people will be able to finish within the allotted time of 132 hours to earn the distinction of Race Around Ireland Finisher.
 

How Does Team Racing Work?

Teams consist of 4, or 8 racers. Teams will race in a relay format day and night with at least one racer always on the road. Teams may put more than one racer on the road at a time if they feel it will be advantageous. The strategy of who races when, and for how long, is a strategy which will have to be decided by the team. It will depend on the strengths of the team members and the terrain. Shifts can vary from 20 minutes to several hours.
 

How Much Sleep Do Race Around Ireland Racers Get?

Sleep management is going to be one of the biggest challenges of the event. This applies to everyone including racers, crew, and race staff. The challenge for racers is balancing the need for sleep, which means time off the bike, against continuing to move down the road. This is critical because the clock doesn’t stop, even for sleeping. The solos at the front of the race will sleep for as little as 90 minutes a day. Just to finish within the time limit. Racers can't afford to sleep more than about 4 hours a day at the most.
 
Teams have the advantage here and can continue racing 24 hours a day as racers rotate. While one sleeps, another races on down the road.
 
We expect that some racers will experience a situation where they can be entirely awake and lucid and still hallucinate, or they can be so tired that reality starts to shift. Officials and crew will be constantly paying attention to a racer's condition and to safety. Safety is the top priority and officials and crews will stop a racer or crew for a sleep break if they feel a racer is past the safety margin of sleep.
 

How does the Race Around Ireland Compare to Other Famous Irish Cycling Races?

Unlike other Irish cycling races such as the FBD Insurance RAS, the course is in no way roped off and there are no marshals controlling traffic flow, and there are no planned rest stops or stages in this event. In The Race Around Ireland, once the clock starts it won’t stop until each rider reaches the finish line at the end of the 1,350 mile circuit .This is designed to be one of the most grueling bike races in the World.
 

How Much will Racers Need to Eat During the Event?

Nutrition and fluid intake is critical during the challenge. It’s at least as important as any piece of equipment or any training. If your body doesn’t have the right fuel or enough fuel, you’re not going anywhere. It’s a tough balance to get the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time, while staying on the bike and riding hard.

Racers need to constantly eat and drink. With racers drinking 500ml an hour, they will easily drink more than 10 litres of fluid each day. Racers also need to consume 300-400 calories every hour for the duration of the race. That’s more than 8000 calories each day - a typical diet is about 2000 calories a day!
 

How Can I Follow the Race?

You can follow the race on our website where we will have live gps tracking, daily video updates, photos, and ongoing stories about the racers, and of course statistics of where everyone is.
 

Is the Race Around Ireland Safe?

Safety is paramount for the Race Around Ireland. All racers are required to follow all rules of the road over the entire course - stopping at stop signs and stop lights, staying to the left, etc. The event has a lengthy set of rules most of which are aimed at the safety of everyone - racers, crew, and all road users. We will have dozens of officials on the course monitoring the entrants to ensure Racers are being safe.