ACTIVE HOLIDAY IN IRELAND: MUD RUNS ON THE GREEN ISLE

Last updated on November 10, 2024

Small children love to play in the mud. To the great delight of their mums, who then have lots of laundry…

Big kids do the whole thing much more professionally…

Page Contents (click line to jump the text)

Intro

They do sport in the mud: mud runs, obstacle runs and extreme runs, where you have to overcome all kinds of obstacles in military boot camp style, from steep walls and barbed wire to mud baths.

For the muddy pros among you, I have good news: the Irish enjoy it just as much as you do and there are some great mud run events on the Emerald Isle that you can take part in too!

The holiday idea: Why not combine a holiday to Ireland with one or more great running events?

I’ve been running in forests for years. I haven’t done any mud runs myself, but I can still imagine the fun. I know the island of Ireland well. My family and I are from Germany but have lived in Ireland for several years (second home).

I have summarised a few particularly muddy tips for you below:

Hell and Back

Hell and Back advertises itself as the toughest challenge on the island – that’s quite a statement. There are longer and shorter formats, in winter and summer, and there are also family and youth events. The event location is near Kilruddery, south of Dublin. See: https://www.hellandback.ie/.

Runamuck Challenge

Runamuck has long been established in the scene and is an event for any and all runners who want to have a lot of fun. The location is near Naas, in the south-west of Dublin. See: http://runamuckchallenge.ie.

Turf Warrior Challenge

The Turf Warrior is held on the picturesque Killary Fjord and the surrounding mountains in North West Ireland. The organisers put a lot of effort into designing an innovative 8-kilometre course. The event takes place in winter. See: https://turfwarriorchallenge.com/en/obstacle-event-info.

Rampage

The Jungle is a family activity organiser in Northern Ireland, west of Belfast. Rampage is an all-ages mud run weekend in May, with 5km and 10km courses for adults, 5km for juniors and 2km for kids. See: https://www.thejungleni.com/event/rampage/.

Tough Mudder Ireland

Tough Mudder has lots of mud runs in different countries on the calendar. In the past there was also an event in Ireland – keep an eye on the website, maybe Ireland will be back on the calendar. See: https://toughmudder.co.uk/events/.

Hard as OAK

Supposedly the toughest 10km mud obstacle run on the island takes place in Derry/Londonderry. There is also a 5km format for teenagers and a 2km format for kids. See: https://hardasoak.com.

Run Mucker Run

This is a big event for everyone with over 1000 participants. There are 5km and 10km courses. The venue is near Ballymoney in Northern Ireland. See: https://www.runmuckerrun.co.uk.

Red Bull Conquer The Castle

Thinking of an energy drink? That’s right, this is the organiser. There are two tough formats in great locations: one at Cashel Rock (Castle) in southern Ireland and one at Castle Irvine in Northern Ireland. See: https://www.redbull.com/ie-en/projects/conquer-the-castle-2023.

Conclusion

I hope I have been able to inspire you a little for a sporty holiday in Ireland?

Irish events are usually great fun because the Irish are very nice people who like to get together and have fun.

Of course, competitions are also taken seriously from a sporting point of view, but fun is clearly the main focus for most people.

Even as a stranger, you will quickly be integrated into the “craic”, as the Irish call fun and socialising.

So just sign up – have fun in Ireland!