2010 will see the staging if the inaugural Achill Mountain Marathon. This mountain marathon will provide competitors with unforgettable memories of this fantastic island off the west coast of Ireland.Achill Island is home to Five Blue Flag beaches, the highest sea cliffs in Europe, the lowest corrie lake in Ireland and some of the most rugged scenery anywhere in Europe. Participants can expect to encounter all this and more when you take part in this prestigious event.
Taking place over the weekend of 1st / 2nd of May 2010 this event will follow a traditional mountain marathon format in which participants (solo or teams of two) navigate their way around a two-day course on Achill Island, albeit with a few twists. The midway camp will be in the same location as the start location therefore removing the need to carry your tent, sleeping bag and food each day. Participants will however be required to carry mandatory kit each day and will be disqualified for failing to do so. At the overnight camp on the Saturday night there will be a marquee with hot food and traditional music.
Although the start location of the event is on Achill Island, the exact location of will be kept secret until a few days before the event date.
A range of courses are available across the weekend. For further details on the event and information on how to enter this event please log onto http://www.26extreme.com/ and click the link for the Achill Mountain Marathon or go to http://www.achillmountainmarathon.com/.
(Please be advised that the entry rate has been reduced to £50 for all entrants or £100 per team, though I am not sure if this is advertised on the website just yet. This was secured through enquiries by the Irish Orienteering Students Association on student entry rates. 26 extreme are the same group that runs the Mourne Marathon. Perhaps people who are interested and are looking to run in the 'Pairs' category could use the BOC email system to shout out for a suitable partner - Ed)
