The cream of Irish adventure racers and athletes is set to descend on Westport this weekend for the inaugural Westport Sea 2 Summit Adventure Race. The event, which is only in its first year, has attracted more than 600 entries from all over Ireland and across the water.
Robbie Bryson a national hill climb and Irish road race cycling champion, is the favourite to win Westport Sea 2 Summit. A former world champion at mountain running, Bryson continues to hold the summit record ascent for Snowdonia, the highest mountain in Wales, a time he recorded back in 1985; will he set a new record on the Reek in 2010?
Others to challenge Bryson are Paul Mahon, winner of the Diamond Adventure Race in Letterfrack last August and in Gaelforce in 2009, and local athletes Tom O Dowd, Colm Staunton, and Noel Brady who were top 10 finishers in Gaelforce 2010. In the ladies, the top finishers in Gaelforce 2010, Derval Devaney, Emma Donlon, and Betty Walsh are the favourites along with well known local cyclist Mary Mulchrone.
Westport Sea 2 Summit is being organised by the Westport Plaza & Castlecourt Hotel Resort and the race will start from the hotel at 9am on Saturday November 13. It will continue up Distillery Road on foot and onto the new Greenway as far as Westport Quay. At Roman Island competitors will get on their bikes to Croagh Patrick car park where they will commence the ascent on foot to the top of the holy mountain. Returning to the car park, they will get on their bikes again for a 35km cycle where they will take the main road for Louisburgh, turning left for Drummin at Harpers Hill and on to the steep climb of the Maum. After this it is all downhill back to the Quay for the obstacle course and returning to Westport via the Greenway and finishing at the Fairgreen overlooking the Mall River. The Supreme athletes will do all of the above, whereas the Spirit athletes will do the same first run and bike but the hike up Croagh Patrick only goes as far as the ridge (3k ) and then descends to the car park, and the cycle home is also reduced to 8km. There has been enormous local interest in the race with approx 250 competitors from Mayo taking part. The race will be finishing at the Fairgreen and there will be a great buzz around the Mall all morning with the first of the athletes arriving in from about 11am. It is hoped the spectators will be out in force to support their loved ones and friends along the route.
