Galway will play host to a new concept in adventure racing next month when the city hosts the first Galway City Rat Race.
The race, which is co-sponsored by the Galway City Council, will see contestants cycle, hike, kayak, abseil, and navigate their way around a city course that is only revealed hours before the start, hunting for checkpoints and completing adventure challenges along the way. The event is part of a new concept in multi-discipline extreme sports, testing competitors’ mental and physical limits in an urban course.
The Galway event is one of a series of urban adventure races which take place in the UK and Ireland each year, and follows from the success of the rural adventure race Gael Force West, which takes place annually in Westport, Co Mayo.
“These are excellent examples of innovative tourism projects that have been made possible by the support of Fáilte Ireland West,” said Brian Quinn, acting general manager of Fáilte Ireland West, which was instrumental in bringing the events to the west. “The continued success of Gael Force West has provided a springboard for outdoors and adventure based events in the region. Adventure racing is widely reported to be one of the fastest growing sports in the world and we at Fáilte Ireland West are very keen to tap into the full potential of the adventure holidays market, placing the west of Ireland in a strategically important position as Ireland’s adventure playground.”
The Galway City Rat Race will take place on Saturday September 6. Further details and booking forms are available online at www.ratraceadventure.com
