A total of 370 miles or 590km separates Ireland’s most southerly and northerly points and this June a group of supremely fit Irish cyclists intend to cycle that distance in less than 20 hours to raise money for Castlebar charity, Rock Rose House Cancer Care. The challenge is not one for the faint hearted as it will mean the cyclists will have to average 18.5mph or 29.5kph hour cumulative including all stops. Starting at 5pm and all going well finishing at 1pm the following day. Organised by Padraig Marrey of Marrey Training Systems in conjunction with Western Lakes Cycling club and members of eight other clubs around the country the group is expected to be made up of almost 25 of Ireland’s most determined and motivated amateur cyclists.
Each participant will burn approximately 800 calories per hour for 20 hours for a total of 16,000 calories, nearly seven times the recommended daily allowance for the average person, and drink approximately 12-14 litres of fluid over the entire challenge. The average weight loss will be somewhere between 5 and 7lbs. The route passes through 12 counties and through all four provinces, Munster, Leinster, Connacht, and finishing in Ulster. Along the way it takes in Mizen Head, Dunmanway, Macroom, Charleville, Limerick, Nenagh, Athlone, Longford. Ballinamore, Enniskillen, Strabane, Derry, Quigley’s Point, Carndonagh, Malin, and Malin Head
The logistics involved in such an event are immense, and an experienced and dedicated support team of 12 people will have many chores, like route marking and direction, feeding the riders, driving the six vehicles of two vans, two cars, one bus and mini bus and ultimately motivating the riders when the going gets tough. The promotion of a cancer care charity like Rock Rose House ties in neatly with the arrival of Lance Armstrong in Ireland later in the summer for the Tour of Ireland in August and the world summit on cancer to be held in Dublin on August 24. Padraig Marrey, coach to the riders for the attempt, says: “This challenge will be a test of mental strength where riders will have to go through the pain barrier and fight off the negative demons many times throughout the 20 hour ordeal.”
