A NEW trail running series is taking athletes to the country’s most remote islands – with the launch event held on Cape Clear.

OuterEdge Éire has put together a series designed to take runners beyond the usual race locations, bringing them to some of Ireland’s most remote and spectacular inhabited islands.

The events combine trail running with the experience of travelling to and exploring somewhere genuinely different.

The inaugural event took place on Cape Clear Island (Oileán Chléire), with runners taking on half marathon and 10K routes across the island’s lanes, trails and coastlines.

The half marathon included over 800m of elevation.

Such was demand for something different, the event sold out within two weeks, with hundreds of runners travelling from across Ireland and abroad to take part.

Rather than simply arriving at a start line, runners travelled by ferry to Cape Clear before taking on a route featuring views across Roaringwater Bay and towards Fastnet Rock, steep island lanes and remote trails.

It has since been described by some of the runners in their feedback as “the most difficult half marathon they have ever done”.

For OuterEdge Éire co-founder Adam Brooks, the aim is to create something that feels more like an adventure than a conventional running event. “We wanted to create races where the destination is just as important as the running,” said Adam.

“Cape Clear was the first chapter, and the response has shown us that there is a real appetite for this type of experience.”

The event is the first in a planned series of island trail- running adventures, with OuterEdge Éire now developing future events on other Irish islands.

The company’s ambition is to create a distinctive Irish trail- running series that encourages runners to discover parts of the country they may never otherwise visit.

“There are so many incredible islands around Ireland that people know of but may never have actually explored,” said Adam.

“We want to build a series that gives people a reason to go there, run there and experience them in a unique way.”

As Ireland’s southernmost inhabited Gaeltacht island, sitting at the entrance to Roaringwater Bay with Fastnet Rock visible offshore, Cape Clear is a popular tourist destination.

Following the success of Cape Clear, OuterEdge is now preparing the next chapter of the Island Trail Series.

“The islanders and runners absolutely loved the event, so much so that the race is booked in on Cape for the same dates again in 2027,” revealed Adam.

“The island has never had an event of this scale. The vibe and atmosphere on the day was incredible. “OuterEdge wants to acknowledge all the islanders for allowing us to use their beautiful island to host this unique event.

And a special mention to Cape Clear Gin distillery for gifting us bespoke engraved bottles of gin as part of the trophies for the winners of the races.”