Could you survive a 250km race through Co Donegal?

A county council worker who trains children in his spare time has won one of the toughest races on the planet.

Endurance athlete Sean McFadden, from Letterkenny, beat 63 other competitors to emerge victorious in 'The Race' which was held over the weekend in the unforgiving terrain of North-West Donegal.

The 250km event, which saw entrants run a half marathon, cycle 175km, paddle 15km and climb 800 vertical metres up Muckish Mountain before finishing with a full marathon through the night.

McFadden (38), completed the gruelling course in a time of 15 hours and eight minutes in gale force wind and driving rain.

Such was the challenging nature of the weather conditions that organisers were forced to cancel the kayak section because of safety fears but added a further 15km run.

Just 34 of those who started the event at 6am on Saturday morning managed to complete the course in the allotted time of 24 hours, including five of the six female athletes entered in the event.

Mr McFadden, who was second in last year's inaugural event, crossed the line at Gartan Outdoor Centre at 9.08pm on Saturday evening.

Others ran through the night in a desperate bid to finish the course before 6am.

Mr McFadden admitted he almost gave up half-way through the event.

“I just became so emotional. I was crying and my legs were gone. I don’t know what happened to me.

“But I thought of my family and all they have done for me and all the sacrifices they have made for me and I carried on. This is my county and I didn’t want to be letting people down.

“I almost stopped again at the start of the full marathon and I started to walk and I would have settled for second place. But a friend of mine came along and told me a few home-truths and that got me going again.

“But by God it was tough. At this moment in time, I can’t see myself doing it again next year,” he said.

McFadden finished 17 minutes ahead of his friend Sean McLoughlin, with Eddie Brennan coming in third.

Diane Behan won the women’s event in a time of 18 hours and 43 minutes, which earned her eighth place overall.

All proceeds raised go to Gorta Self Help Africa.

Co-organiser of The Race, Maghnus Collins, said they could not have picked a better day to host the gruelling test of endurance.

“I know the athletes will hate me for saying this but we could not picked a better day. The gale force winds and driving rain tested these athletes to their limits.

“Donegal has an incredible beauty and ruggedness and there is no question that this is amongst the toughest one-day events in the world.

“To watch these athletes encourage each other to the very end after 24 hours of pain and exhaustion was a privilege. It was a truly great day,” he said.

[ therace.ie ]