QUEST for SUCCESS

Adventure racing has become a very popular pastime in Ireland in recent years with more than 10,000 participants taking part in Quest events across the year.

Founded in 2011, Quest Killarney alone attracts over 2,500 adventure racers to the region every October.

An alternative to triathlons and the popular mass participation half-marathons and other runs on offer, adventure racing extends beyond the physical and fosters a great sense of camaraderie and fun as part of the races.

This epic adventure involves racers running and cycling through The Gap of Dunloe, Molls Gap, Black Valley, Ring of Kerry, Torc Waterfall, Devil’s Punchbowl, Mangerton Mountain and Muckross House as well as kayaking across Muckross Lake in Killarney National Park. With five routes to choose from there’s something to suit everyone (including a kayak-free course). Quest Adventure Races involve running, cycling and kayaking across various distances in remote, beautiful and challenging locations.

The first Killarney Adventure Race took place in 2011. Around 300 people tackled the event but little did they know it was a springboard for something much bigger. Today, Kerry-based Elite Event Management employ five full-time staff and process over 35,000 entry forms for their range of events that includes Quest Kenmare, Quest Glendalough, Quest Lough Derg and other events like Ride Dingle and the Ring of Beara Cycle.

It All Started In Killarney

Oliver Kirwan is the local man behind the Quest Adventure series and he explained to us how it all started.

“When I moved down to Killarney we were travelling all over Ireland to similar events. I thought, Killarney, with the biggest National Park in the country, is made for these kinds of events, so we took a chance in 2011 and here we are today.”

From that humble beginning, Quest Killarney has grown to be the biggest event of its kind in the world.

“Nowhere else will you get 2,500 people running around enjoying the mountains, it’s a community of like-minded people out for an adventure.”

One of the beauties about Quest events is that there are courses and events to suit all tastes and levels of experience.

Quest Killarney offers four different challenges; Expert (83km), Pro (73km), Dual (65km), Sport (55km), and Challenge ( 27km). By offering a number of distances, people find the level that’s right for them.

“You don’t have to be a grizzled adventure racer to participate, you can dip your toe in with the 27km event, while the 40km events needs a bit more training, and the 70km races are for experts. Two of Killarney’s biggest names in the adventure racing world, Joe O’Leary and Kevin Leahy started their adventure racing career on Quest events and they are both still big supporters of our events.”

If you like a challenge and enjoy spending time in the outdoors, then Quest Killarney may be for you!

Crush

Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce actively promotes and develops tourism, commerce and enterprise in the greater Killarney area for the benefit of its members, the local community and visitors to Killarney. They are one of the most pro-active organisations of their kind in Ireland and are well renowned for delivering fantastic events and festivals. Below are some of the flagship annual events they run each year with the support of local volunteers and the business community.