Wild West Adventure in Ireland

Rob Howard / 20.08.2009

This weekend sees 2500 adventurers descend on the town of Westport in County Mayo, Ireland for the Gaelforce West Adventure Race. The 65km course will extend from a stunning beach in Connemara to 18th century Westport House, taking in some 16km trail running, a short kayak stage, 45km biking and a 5km round trip up and down to the summit of the Holy Mountain of Croagh Patrick. Detail Events are at the helm and fresh from a busy summer of Rat Races, ACE Races and other events, their Irish office is engaged with ensuring this year’s Gaelforce is the best yet.

The event is the proud flagship of adventure in the west of Ireland and has become in its fourth year the largest event of its kind on Earth. That such a phenomenon has occurred is down to many factors, notably the willingness of 1000s of to take up the challenge of this unique and now iconic multi-sport event.

It all began with an idea from Irish adventurer and founder of Killary Adventure Centre, Jamie Young. Having sailed the Atlantic single handed at the age of 18, kite-skied across the Antarctic and opened Ireland’s first privately owned adventure centre, Killary Adventures, in 1982, Young is no stranger to adventure.

In his bid to develop and highlight the West as the adventure capital of Ireland and drawing inspiration from successfully marketed world centres of adventure such as Queenstown in New Zealand and the Scottish Highlands, Young secured the support of Failte Ireland to back an event, together with local business and tourism leaders in Westport and with the support of the Town Council.

In 2006 he met Jim Mee, ex Red Bull events head honcho and the creator of leading adventure sports company Detail Events. Detail’s pedigree in adventure racing was clear, having put together the world famous Rat Race Urban Adventure Series and having staged the Adventure Racing World Championships, among many other top-flight events. The company has since grown into one of the world’s leading providers of adventure sports events and stages dozens of events annually from Ireland to Australia.

Mee and Detail’s acclaimed course planner Gary Tompsett got to work and embarked on a feasibility study in the West, with comprehensive reconnaissance of the ground. They devised a concept for an event which linked some true icons of the region in a dramatic route that was also competitively charged. Gaelforce West was born. The first event ran in 2006 with a field of 160 athletes and has doubled (and trebled in 2009!) every year since.