Gaelforce Cycle Challenge - NEW 8hr Challlenge added

The Gaelforce Cycle Challenge is running for the second year on the 19th of June 2010. The event is taking place outside of Newport, Co. Mayo. We are delighted to announce the inclusion of a new 8hr Cycle Challenge into this year’s event.

We have introduced the 8hr Cycle Challenge this year to open the event up to a wider audience from the hard core soloists to those who just want to dip their toes in! This Mini 8hr Cycle Challenge is open to teams of 2, 3 and 4. We are also running an Inter-company Cycle Challenge open to teams of 5 and an Inter-forces Cycle Challenge open to teams of 5 from the police force, armed forces, fire brigade etc.

The aim of the event is to be the soloist or team who completes the most number of circuits of the route within the 8hr timeframe.

The 24hr Cycle Challenge is running over the 2 days, starting at 2pm on the 19th and finishing at 2pm on the 20th of June. There are places available to soloists, duos and teams of 3, 4 & 5.

The Connemara Adventure Challenge - Race Report

The inaugural Connemara Adventure Challenge took place on the 8th of May under the blissful sunshine we always experience here in Connemara!! 800 competitors took to the start line and completed the tough course that took in the foothills of the Maamturks, the Western Way and the stunning Killary Fjord. Congratulations to the first male across the line Chris Caulfield and the first female Jenny Kilbride. Chris Caulfield has written a great race report you can read here.

Entries for the 2011 event will be opening soon, keep an eye on the website!

Gaelforce West - Only a few places left
For those of you who are planning on entering Gaelforce West and have not done so yet spaces are filling up fast and we expect the event to be sold out within the next few weeks. There are only spaces left in 2 of the categories, Elite and Walker so we would advise you to sign up soon to avoid disappointment.

Please note that although you may not be in the category that you would have originally liked, you can still complete the challenge at your own pace - for example if you enter the walker category you do not need to walk you can run. It is still your challenge and you should complete it in your own time! Please ONLY enter the ELITE category if you are an elite racer.

Volunteers Needed for the 24hr & 8hr Cycle Challenge
The Gaelforce Cycle Challenge takes place on the 19th & 20th of June and we are looking for volunteers to come and help out at the event. You will be involved in roles ranging from safety marshal out on the course to working in the event marquee. There will be a staff camping village set up for the weekend, this is free for volunteers but you will need to bring your own tent. There will be a free dinner and party with live entertainment on the Sunday night in Newport. If you are coming down to support a friend or loved one and want to get involved or would just like to see what goes on when running an event from the other side contact us about available volunteer’s positions. Fill out our volunteer registration form here.

Do a Gaelforce event and fundraise for our nominated charities

Doing an event such as the Gaelforce Cycle Challenge or Gaelforce West is a great opportunity to raise money for our nominated charities.

The nominated charity for the Gaelforce Cycle Challenge is Barretstown. The mission at Barretstown is to rebuild lives affected by childhood cancer and other serious illnesses through a life changing Therapeutic Recreation programme in a safe, fun and supportive environment. Contact fundraising@barretstown.org or 045 864115 for your sponsorship pack and details on how to set up an online sponsorship page to make it really easy to raise sponsorship.

The nominated charity for Gaelforce West Big Brother Big Sister. BBBS is a mentoring programme for young people aged 10-18, which matches an adult volunteer with a young person in need of support and friendship. They are looking for people to become a big brother or big sister and to help raise funds for the programme. For more info visit www.bbbsireland.ie or call 091 528325.