 Well, here we are in the studios of Highland to launch the Donegal Atlantic Way endurance race I'm joined by Sean Stewart and Sean McFadden gentlemen. You're welcome to the studio. Thanks. Thanks man. Well, Sean Sean McFadden that is we'll go to you first of all Sean Tell us about the Donegal Wild Atlantic Way Ultra race and how did this all come about? Well, I suppose myself and Sean's been competing in the ultra racing for the last maybe ten years or maybe six years only and we've always talked about doing our own race and our own our own county and We've come up with this one around the Wild Atlantic Way. So it's kind of suitable to a lot of supposed leisure cyclists and families and and maybe more businesses that can take it on Because it's just cycle lonely. Yeah, before we go into the targets of people that you want to come and take part in this Because there's going to be different levels of it. What's making this so unique compared to everything else? Well, I suppose making the show unique they're going around the Wild Atlantic Way and you know The Wild Atlantic Way is a beautiful area and we've cycled it so many times yourself and We thought that we'd make a race of it and you know, it's a beautiful area. You know, there's some really icon Viewing points on it and we're kind of going on a real good Hopefully good weather, you know, not it's not in the middle of the winter So people can enjoy it and cycling through the middle of the night and take it all in take it all on board Let's talk about the type of people you want to compete in this Sean because there's there's really two categories There's the serious competitors. Yeah, there will be a lot of interest and and then there's the folks from Donegal, Darian, Truon, the rest of the country want to give themselves a challenge. True. Well, it's open There's obviously you've got the solo category Now it's a big ask 540 kilometers odd So for one one person to do that on their own, you know, they need to be fairly serious athlete But after that, then you've got two person four person and eight person teams So, you know, we'd be expecting a lot of different levels of fitness and people from all over the country come to do it You know, I already know of two guys from New Zealand come to do it So hopefully we'll get some international as well. It's a specialized distance So there's there's only going to be a certain type of competitor that's going to come for this as well If you break it up into any person team, you know, it's you're looking at 60 kilometers each Which is you know, well achievable for the for the average cyclist and for you know, you're Sunday Sunday club cyclist So, you know, the elites will hopefully be there, but we're kind of targeting just the average Club cyclist as well to come and take it on Is there many other races off this type around the country held at the moment? There's there is a couple. Yeah, but I think what's unique about this is that it's not super long the race around Ireland is Obviously the whole perimeter and it's a very big ask There's another one that is taken in the whole Atlantic way again It's it's a extra long distance. There's this is somewhere in between. I think it's um, it's an achievable goal for most people And plus two is a good stepping stone for people who want to maybe go and do the full race around Ireland or Further things like race across America. Yeah, well, Sean, we know what you've achieved on the bike and a running and on the water as well The winner of the race in 2015 You've done a lot of challenges across the country and tackle a lot of courses Is this a challenging course given the geography and the type of terrain that the Donegal has compared to the rest of the country? That sure is you know the terrain around us is really tough You know, we've seen that this year in the race I knew a few guys that was doing the rest and you know, it was the terrain that got them on the bike So this is going to be really tough like they think there's 5,700 meters of climbing and the roads and Donegal They're not the best. You know, they're they're rugged They're tough and sometimes you feel that you're Pocycling with a flat wheel, but you're not so, you know, it's gonna be tough for the for the solos And maybe for the two-man teams, but the fours and eight that's why we've put them in there Hopefully that you know, they can do it and enjoy it and do 30 and 40 kilometers and then Jump in the van and have a rest and take it on again Because if there is leisure cyclists who are gonna tackle this and we're here to launch it now at the end of March Now's the time to start seriously thinking about getting the train in my stone shop. Yeah You know, I think we have someone like maybe the highest Members of Cycling Ireland and Donegal we've 17 cycling clubs maybe more maybe it's 20 at the minute So this is what we're targeting. So some people don't like racing and they don't like that Name of racing. So this is kind of what we're targeting You know something that they can target and achieve and get the finishers medal and and stuff like that You know what with people that the cycle with every day every Saturday and Sunday And you know, there's people out there doing six and seven hour rides on Saturday and Sunday and stopping stopping for coffee and stuff This is kind of what we're targeting, you know, what's the basic root of the course what what way is it going around the county of Donegal? Yeah, so it's we're obviously starting in the material hotel and that's our base For the race and it's leaving and taking in the initial one basically the initial one hundred That's the start of the route. You you obviously take in no more gap with the first major climb Which is testing which is testing to say the least yeah And then come back to Lurikini. You're then following the weather than the way towards the wrath mollin You go over knock Allah taking fan of heads and you cross the Harry Blaney bridge on to the Atlantic Drive Takes you through Creaslid on Fanny. We have included horn head just for for an extra little bit and You know and followed on through the bloody for land Down as far as Carrick Finn you follow the N 56 in true glanties in our draw and Then back around by sleeve league Donegal town and then we take it back through Barron's more gap to finish in Lurikini again So that's pretty much the outline of the route. Yeah, which is a massive read It is but when you think about it, you know on a weekly basis, we'd we'd ride a lot of those roads I'm obviously not in one goal, but you know everything is within Touching distance from the other Kenny really yeah, so it's it sounds like a massive distance But when you break it in the sections, you know, it's it's not not it's achievable for most Yeah, he's put a feeder right off the event a number of weeks ago Sean what sort of response has it in these early stages been like we've had a good we've had a good response you know from a lot of Local clubs and boys that's looking to do it and even you know Someone the national boys likes of maybe Joe bar and and you're in one that holds the 12-hour record for the One slaggle recently there, so you know And hopefully Joe that may be able to bring a few more high standard of cyclists there But you know, we're not concentrated really on the on the lead part of it We want people to come out and kind of enjoy it as a four-man and eight-man and a two-man team So that at the minute things is good You know top my head there could be at least 20 teams there so far So we're just we're keen to get the registration open when the people's keen to enter We're kind of keen to get my station open as soon as possible and myself and Sean's got everything in place now And we're just kind of ready to launch it as Yeah, just a reminder lusters as of now Here on Highland. We're officially launching it. So registration is available online at dunygallatlanticwayultra.com The date of the event is Friday the 24th of June was there many problems in trying to get a date organized Sean for a given that the high level of interest in cycling that Sean With so many events on in the county true Well, I suppose we had originally looked at the June bike holiday again, but I'm There's already a very successful dunygall three-day on that weekend So we didn't want to be taken taken riders away from other races And we kind of looked at the race race around Ireland and we were gonna work back from it because we thought It might be a good preparation event So two of those things can add it up on me. We got this weekend. It suited suited us as organisers Didn't really clash with other major cycling events on at the time And we felt it's probably a good time for holy makers as well who want to come and see the wild Atlantic way So, you know, you have to realize to it. There's there's crew coming with each cyclist So, you know, it's not just one solo rider There's gonna be three or four people and we're hoping to bring lots of people to the county You know for that weekend You're one of the organiser so you're not gonna be able to compete Unfortunately not this year now, but you've got a couple of other events It's just as grueling Yeah, well Kind of a few long events coming up of the ATR expedition race in August. It's down in Calarnade moves around the world. It's actually in Ireland this year. So myself and a guy from Galway or have been joined by two New Zealand Guy and a girl actually so Looking forward to that It's a multi-sport event so it's gonna be a mixture of Kayaking mountain biking trail running Actually, think there's a bit of coast hearing. So Following the coastline jump jumping and swimming and right. Yeah, so it's really multi-sport and it's non-stop So it's gonna last maybe four or five days. Yeah, sleep when you want to Coast in a sport. You're gonna try Have you done enough at the stage shot? I've kind of planned a few things, but You know stuff hasn't got my way this year. So I'm rescheduling my plan So but I will definitely do something for the end of year I've entered in an airman and in Wales in September. So I'll finish that out and then I'll reschedule from next year Let's be all part of your training or do you actually get to do it? No, we don't get to do it this year. I would like to take it on myself You know, I have a real interest maybe a race around Ireland sometime But it's just you know, the organizing for a race around Ireland and the crew and you know It takes a lot of money to do a race around Ireland and even race across America So, you know, I would love to have a go at something like that In the near future, but at the moment I'll just now organize this one and see how it goes and hopefully this is success and we'll take it from there Is this an event now that you want to be an annual thing or by annual event that grows Year on year we definitely do, you know, we we wanted to grow like, you know When we put it out there, we contacted a few people about it, like, you know, like the Tourist Board And they were really really happy that we were using the name of the well-atlantic way Joan Crawford her name is So she's on board and you know only for her probably, you know, it probably wouldn't have happened And there's a lot of people in the background that I suppose, you know This doesn't happen just because me and Sean we've had to get a lot of sponsors on board and a lot of help You know one we need a lot of help to do it But people want these kind of events in the county for some reason and they want to do them and they want to help out So we said we were we were planning put it together and it's kind of gone from there You know, so it should be an annual event fingers crossed it goes it goes well this year and we'll take it from there You mentioned help obviously Marcelline is going to be required to be a few numbers needed for that Then there's always support welcome from all avenues as well, Sean Definitely like well Marcelline is not really as much in this because it's it's down to your your crew and your navigator in the van or the car behind you You know a car has to follow you at all times and we're gonna have a tracker on you a GPS system No, we are at all times So there's not a while out of Marcelline You know to be done on it But there is going to be a few spotters out on the course to make sure that people don't cheat You know, so we'll have them placed all over there over there But we won't tell the readers where they're going to be so, you know Because that is a big distance to cover Some people some people like to cheat in the middle of the night for some reason hopefully we don't have that in this one So we're looking forward it, you know, it's it's a good event and myself and Sean think it's going to be a good success Oh, yeah So once again website all the details Sean. Yeah, I'm registrations now open So if you want to have a look and get more details than they call it in any way ultra calm You'll also find it on Facebook So have a look if it's the first time you've heard of it. If not get signed up and get your name I suppose. Yeah, I'm sure you'll get a lot of good response now to it I'm sure they'll get a bit of momentum now in the common weeks Sean Stewart and Sean McFadden many Thanks for coming on studios again, and we wish you all the best with the Dunnegård, Lantigway, Ulteris, Cumjuntay. Thank you Thank you