A two man team from the Over the Hill Cycle Club in Watergrasshill finished seventh overall and third in their category in the gruelling Race Around Ireland cycle event which was staged last week. Mick Gowen from Glenville and Colin O’Brien who hails from Sallybrook in Glanmire were the two cyclists who completed this ultimate test of endurance by cycling day and night from 3pm on Sunday 15th until they finished at race headquarters in Navan at 1.18pm the following Thursday. In the process they also raised precious funds for the club’s chosen charity, Muscular Dystrophy Ireland.

This is the second year the club has entered the race which started in Trim, Co. Meath. Last year a four man team from the club achieved a fantastic result in coming in second overall in their first attempt at such an event. This is the fifth year that the event has been staged in Ireland and is now regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the cycling calendar and is widely recognised as Europe’s most challenging endurance event.

The club had originally entered a four man team but two members had to withdraw, so Colin and Mick decided they would take on the challenge themselves and compete against all of the other four-man and eight-man teams in the race. To complete all 2190 kilometres of this race was a remarkable achievement and a huge testament to their sheer courage and determination. They completed the race in a time of 93 hours and 3 minutes with an average speed of 23.5km per hour.

The race itself takes in 22 of the 32 counties and 75,000ft of climbing. This year there were riders from eight different countries taking part including Austrian Christoph Strasser who won the solo category in the Race Across America earlier this year and Mayfield man, Donncha Cuttris who intends riding up Patrick’s Hill 150 times next week having cycled up it 100 times already last year.

The winners this year were once again the Strategic Lions, a team of semi and ex-professionals from the UK, the team that the Over The Hill team were second to last year, while Christoph Strasser won the solo category.

The race began against the backdrop of the magnificent medieval castle in Trim and having to face extreme weather conditions, some competitors dropped out along the way. Mick and Colin were rotating every hour or so in these conditions so which ever cyclist was off the road had this amount of time at most to get warm drinks and food and some sleep, perhaps for 20 or 30 minutes or so, before resuming back on the road again and letting the other cyclist do the same.

The improvement in the weather by Wednesday gave the lads added encouragement as they headed along the South coast towards Waterford and Wexford and once they saw the Kerry mountains, they regained a new sense of determination. They eventually crossed the line in Navan at 1.18pm last Thursday evening. Their achievement was enormous put in perspective by the fact that they actually crossed the line 2 hours ahead of the last eight-man team and also almost 7 hours ahead of the only other two-man team, ‘The Mind Has No Limits’ from Germany who were also originally entered as a four-man team. They also beat the last four man team ‘United Colours of Peleton’ by 8.5 hours.

Mick and Colin’s achievement is a deeply satisfying one personally for themselves but also a source of great pride for the Over The Hill Club who have gone from strength to strength since it was founded just over two years ago.

Having now successfully completed Europe’s toughest and most challenging endurance event on two occasions, the club will look forward to mounting another challenge next year and the efforts of these two cyclists this year in overcoming all kinds of adversity will definitely inspire all club members who supported and cheered on their achievement last week.

Sponsorship cards for Muscular Dystrophy Ireland are still available at local outlets in Watergrasshill or alternatively anyone who wants to show their appreciation of the lads’ efforts and contribute to their chosen charity, can do so by visiting the club website and following the links.