THE Beast of Ballyhoura Adventure Race is back for 2012 and is scheduled to take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, from August 3- 6, bringing thousands of visitors to the south/east Limerick area. Teams are travelling from Canada, South Africa, UK and Finland, as well as Ireland. The Beast of Ballyhoura is a team event comprising a mix of men and women. The goal is to be the first team to get all four members across the finish line together.
Teams will mountain run, mountain bike, kayak, abseil and shoot over a period of 36 hours and over 300km on a predetermined route through the low lands and uplands of Tipperary, Limerick and Cork.
They will have to navigate the best route and determine the optimum level of equipment, food and pace to win.
Ballyhoura Fáilte, the rural tourism group for the Ballyhoura area of north Cork and east Limerick, is teaming up with the Causeway Coast Adventure Racing Club and number of local businesses to stage the event.
The Beast of Ballyhoura will also incorporate the Ballyhoura Blitz on Sunday 5. The Blitz offers an achievable challenge to people looking to push themselves to the limits and perhaps for some to redefine their limits.
The race route will be marked and includes an initial 10km hill run followed by a 30km off road mountain bike test.
Places are limited for both races.
‘The Beast of Ballyhoura’ race will also encompass the 8th annual all island inter-services challenge. Teams from the various public services including the Army, Garda, Ambulance, Civil Defence and PSNI go head to head to find Ireland’s toughest service.
The aim of ‘The Ballyhoura Blitz’ race on August 5 is to engage the wider population with an achievable challenge.
It will offer an opportunity for people to challenge themselves, to push themselves to the limits and perhaps for some to redefine their limits.
This year the race will be run by the guys at Trail Riders, Bike Hire at the Trail Head.
A complete new race has been planned.
The race route will be designed and marketed to maximise its appeal to first timers into the sport of adventure racing.
The event will include categories for individuals and pairs for both men, women and mixed. The course route will be marked and include an initial 10km hill run followed by a 30km off road mountain bike test. It will be limited to 150 participants initially.
