For the first time since its launch in 2009 we have had to cancel the Race Around Ireland. This is due to covid-19.

The Race Around Ireland has everything associated with sport and adventure, gruelling, dramatic, romantic, competitive, and set on a back drop of magnificent scenery and breath taking views. This event has not only tested the physical and mental limits of elite, as well as amateur cyclists, but has become a life changing experience for some.

However, we still love to challenge people and give an amazing experience and so we have launched the Race Around Ireland Challenge. Actually, it’s more like 22 different challenges.

You can download and ride each section of the route and receive a certificate for each one. Ride all 22 sections and you will receive a special Race Around Ireland Challenge completion award.

Unlike the Race Around Ireland this is not a race, and there is no time limit to when you have to complete each section. You can start and finish each section at a time that suits you and ride it at your own pace.

Race Around Ireland Challenge Info:

• You can download and complete each section at a time that suits you
• You will receive a certificate of completion for every section complete
• You will receive a special award if you finish all sections
• You don’t have to ride each section in sequence, which means if you are from one county you can ride the routes around that area and then if you are on a weekend break or holiday in another area you can ride the routes there.
• When you ride the route just record it on any device or app and send us the link to your ride on strava, mapmyride or another platform you use.

The History Of The Race Around Ireland Route

In 2009 Cycling Irelands legendary route designer, Joe Roche and his son Emmet were approached and set a challenge to design a 2100 km route around Ireland.  It had to treat the cyclists and their crews to fabulous scenery, while passing some of Ireland’s most famous landmarks.  

It also had to include roads which had been used in top road races in Ireland such as, the Tour of Ireland, The RÁS and The Tour de France.  Smaller ‘B’ roads had to be included as much as possible to cut down on the amount of traffic racers would encounter.  Between Joe and Emmet the route was designed, driven and redesigned to create the most incredible, awe inspiring course imaginable.

In 2019 the route book was redesigned by Dave Popham using Tulip to make navigation easier. In 2019 Arthur J. Smith also recorded the entire route on videos so you can see what each section looks like before you get there. (Available on this site soon).