Event schedule

Well, you’ve entered the event and you’ve got some training under your belt. Now you are ready for the adventure. Check out the info on this website relating to kit. Between now and the event, we will send out monthly news to everyone on our mailing list. In the final month there will be an number of news updates and there will be a final mail around 10 days before the event with last minute info. In the meantime, remember we are always on the end of the phone and on email. You can contact us on +353 (0) 95 42006 and at info@gaelforceevents.com

On Friday you will need to register for the event, at Glen Swilly GAA not far ftom Letterkenny. A map is here. You will be able to turn up to register at any point on Friday 22nd between 15.00 - 22.00pm. When you register, you will receive your race pack containing your competitor number, event T-shirt, your Timing dibber, race sticker for your bike, and race map. There will be staff on hand to answer questions. You will receive your timing dibber which a member of staff will place on you at registration, you must not lose this!  Finally, you will leave your bike in the transition area here, where we will have set up racking. It will be safe overnight as the transition area is locked and guarded overnight.
Afterwards, you will probably be in need of a good night’s sleep. Wherever you are staying, remember the event STARTS with transport taking competitors to the Start line from BUNBEG. The race will also FINISH in Bunbeg. So wherever you are staying, you will want to ensure you can get yourself to the buses that will take you to the start. It’ll be an early start anyway – so make sure you are as near as you can be to those buses which depart from BUNBEG.

Right, you’ve got your number; the electronic gadget is on your wrist, all your training done and you are ready to go! We will have allocated you a bus time depending on which wave you have signed up to when you entered the race online. The GFN Start is held in waves, due to the numbers of participants, so you will board your bus in Bunbeg with people of similar abilities to yourself. They will have the same nerves and will face exactly the same challenge as you.

If you have decided to get dropped to the start line, you can only get dropped and then your driver must continue on! There is absolutely no stopping or spectators allowed at the start line. 

This will be a brand new course for all of you! But the journey will be amazing and you will enjoy the spectacular scenery as you make your way to the finish line. You will find this course scenic, exhilarating, fun and challenging!

The route starts at the South West end of the spectacular Glenveagh Valley where you will run down on a narrow path through the Bridle Pass, passing through the grounds of Glenveagh Castle and turning right up and over Gartan Mountain (200mts height) and down to Gartan Lake. This is an remarkable run through the valley and past Lough Veagh. Watch out for the Golden Eagles!

On reaching Gartan Lake you will paddle approximately 2km across the lake.

At the kayak transition you will be timed out and you will be issued with a paddle, a buoyancy aid, a boat and a companion to paddle with! The boats here are tandem “sit-on-top” kayaks – user friendly by design. You might be a strong paddler or a weak one; the safety cover out on the water is thorough.

NB - Elites: If you entered the elite category, you will NOT be timed out for the kayak section. So as soon as you reach the kayak section grab your BA, paddle and partner and get going!

At the bike transition, 1000 bikes are racked up and the transition is a hive of energy. Make sure you follow the marshals instruction and that you are careful of other competitors equipment.

From the bike transition you will get on your bike and cycle on sealed tarmac roads, where you will enjoy the superb scenery of Glenveagh National Park. As you cycle along side of the Derryveagh Mountains, you will see the almighty Errigal Mountain ahead of you. Keep the fluids going down and the energy levels high.  

At the next transition you will lay down your bike with our crew and there will be water available. The views from Errigal are spectacular and the climb will be challenging as you negotiate your way along the narrow path. You will cover different terrains on route, including bog nearer the base and scree as you get closer to the summit. There is a cut-off time on Errigal, we will let you know this before the big day. It’s likely that if you have missed the cut-off, you will probably not want to anyway!! Make sure to get fluids into you before you head up! You must reach the base of Errigal by 3pm, otherwise you will not be allowed to climb it.
 

Then it’s back on the bikes. Just when you thought your legs were going to give up, you have the 18km to cycle back to Inishcoole Beach at Bunbeg. This last stretch is a mix of on/off road cycle - approximately 6km off road. The off road section is on parts of Coillte Forest tracks.

One of the challenges of GFN is bike selection. Some select road bikes and others use mountain bikes. If you choose a mountain bike you will find this off road part easier but will be slower on the road section. It’s short section and the decision as to bike and tyre selection is entirely yours. There is info on this here.   

So you’ve crossed the line. You might have won. You might have come a good way down the field. Either way, it’s all about the taking part. GFN attracts a massive cross section of athletes – from elite adventure athletes and tri-athletes to newcomers who have never even contemplated this sort of challenge before. We have a number of prizes, so even if you aren't the first one over the line you may have still won a prize.

NB : If you feel that you may be a contender to win your category or the overall race, you need to enter the elite category as this is a real time race with no timeouts. Please check out the results for the last year’s event to give you an idea of the times.