Bantry Bay's new Adventure Race begins with a Whiddy Island 5k

BANTRY will be making a splash this August with the launch of the inaugural Bantry Bay Adventure Race on August 27th.

The event will begin with a 5k run on Whiddy Island. Participants will then kayak a 1.5km route across Bantry Bay towards the Abbey pier where they’ll jump on their bikes for the final leg of the Adventure Race, cycling down a 22.8km stretch of the Sheep’s Head peninsula on the Goat’s Path before returning to Bantry for a well-earned celebration. 

For the inaugural event, places are limited to 150, but there’s already been so much interest in the Adventure Race that organisers expect it to become a regular fixture on the West Cork calendar, with more participants joining in the fun in future years.  

‘Interest in adventure sports is growing fast,’ said Claire Hurley of the Cork Sports Partnership, who has been working with local organisers to establish the Bantry Bay Adventure Race. ‘It’s fantastic to see events like this introducing people to our islands, bays, and peninsulas where the terrain provides some brilliant challenges with amazing views,too.’

Individual participants will be joined by teams of three at the event, and the team element gives people the chance to participate even if they’re not quite ready to tackle all three disciplines this year.

‘We’re delighted to be welcoming people to Whiddy Island and introducing them to the fantastic land and sea trails they can enjoy here,’ said Tim O’Leary of the Whiddy Island Development Association.  There are very popular runs on across the West Cork islands throughout the summer, and the Adventure Race gives people a new way to make the most of the fantastic environment we have here for adventure sports. The development of Bantry Blueway has begun to draw attention to the potential for water sports around Whiddy, and the Adventure Race will give participants and onlookers a great chance to see the Blueway and the Sheep’s Head cycle route being used to their full potential.’

The Adventure Race, supported by the Bantry Bay Port Company, is raising funds for Bantry Inshore Rescue Association, the Cancer Connect service which helps bring people to hospital appointments in city hospitals, and the Whiddy Island Development Association.

See bantrybayadventurerace.com or email [email protected].