For the new year, why not plan and train to complete a Wicklow Outdoor Challenge? Wicklow has a variety of events and challenges that make the most of the fantastic playground the County has to offer. See below some suggestions:
Quest Glendalough – April
This epic adventure involves running and cycling through the Wicklow Mountains National Park and Glendalough Valley. Included as well is a kayaking section across the spectacular Upper Lake and finishing the race in the shadows of the monastic round tower.. This is a very popular event with limited availability…
More info: https://questadventureseries.com/races/quest-glendalough/
Wicklow 200 Cycling Challenge – June
Established in 1982, the Wicklow 200 is Ireland’s premier cycling sportive. The Wicklow 200 – and its partner event the Wicklow 100 Challenge, take in many of the most iconic climbs in Ireland’s ‘Garden County’ in an event that is among the most arduous and most revered annual cycling events.
More info: https://wicklow200.ie
EcoTrail Wicklow – September
EcoTrail is on the last weekend of September and gives you plenty of time to train while enjoying the Wicklow Outdoors. EcoTrail Wicklow is part of the eco-responsible international circuit of EcoTrail races in various destinations around Europe and beyond. EcoTrail Wicklow offers the option of four distances (19k, 30k, 46k or 80k) following trails that run through some of Wicklow’s most scenic locations. EcoTrail has limited availability, and early booking is highly recommended.
More info: https://wicklow.ecotrail.com
Walk the Wicklow Way
Walking the full length of the Wicklow Way is something that a lot of us have meant to do, but never actually took the time to complete. 2023 can be the year! It takes between 6 to 7 days to walk the Wicklow Way, and those can be split over various weekends. Public transport around Wicklow and along the Wicklow Way has greatly improved, and it is possible to access a lot of the sections using either the train or buses. If you have done some of the sections of the Wicklow Way, why not explore other way-marked trails such as St Kevin’s Way, the Sugarloaf Way or the Avonmore Way.
More info:
Wicklow Passport: Walk and Cycle your journey around the County
The Wicklow Passport offers a fantastic way to discover the many wonders of County Wicklow. Why not set yourself the challenge to collect 15 or more stamps cycling or walking and making the most of public transport. This challenge was recently completed by Andrey Yordanov who, over seven days, cycled the breadth and length of Wicklow to collect all 23 stamps, with some help of public transport.
More info: https://visitwicklow.ie/passport
