Following the warrior way in Sligo

STRANDHILL village, five miles west of Sligo Town, is situated on the Atlantic seaboard and nestles at the foot of Knocknarea Mountain. It is known as one of Europe’s premier surfing spots, but it has another claim to fame – a competitive running event that dominates the sporting calendar not only in Sligo town and county, but spreads out to the provinces of Ireland and across the world, writes Micki Murray.

KERRY WARRIOR: John Lenihan pictured winning the 21st Warriors Run. The durable Kerry legend also won in the event in the first four year.

To the uninitiated, a 15k run might seem relatively undaunting. To those in the know, it has been said that marathons are preferable to what we’re talking about here.

Welcome to Strandhill.

Welcome to The Warriors Run.

At the entrance to Strandhill village is a small pub called the Strandhill Bar. Locals know it as Sonny Bree’s, Sonny being a former landlord. One of the bar’s attributes is that it boasts an excellent view of Knocknarea Mountain from its panoramic window.

In 1979 a group of locals were looking out discussing the best paths to climb to the top of the mountain from the front. This is not standard pub talk, as you may be aware – well, perhaps it’s standard pub talk, but action rarely follows such flights of barroom fancy.

This time, it was different. A wager started. Strong opinions were expressed. Wild claims were made. Someone said the quickest time to the top was 45 minutes. A visiting German tourist, overhearing the conversation, got into the discussion and said his son, sitting alongside, would climb the front of the mountain in half that time.

There were plenty of takers.

With all deals done the German man’s son, a 17 year-old member of a scouting troop, took off over the wall at the back of Sonny Bree’s and began to negotiate, bog, ditches, forestry and cliffs. He proved quite the whippet. Witnessed by those in the bar, who could follow the majority of his journey, he made it to the top (1050 ft) in 19 minutes.

Those watching gulped hard on their Adam’s Apples.

Now, let’s move on six years.

In 1985, the Sligo Mid Summer Festival was organised in conjunction with sporting and arts festival groups in the town. Among these groups was a committee, which decided to organise the initial Warriors Run as part of the festival.

Knocknarea Mountain has on its summit a megalithic cairn known as Queen Maeve’s Grave. Maeve, who was the fiery Queen of Connacht, is reputedly buried here.

Her battles with the King of Ulster over the brown bull of Cooley are well documented. No place for the faint-hearted, we’re told. In each, references to Maeve’s brave Warriors are made, and they were even praised by the Queen herself, and she wasn’t a woman to throw out compliments like snuff at a wake.

After Maeve was assassinated by a nephew of the Ulster King, it is reported she was brought back by her Warriors to the top of Knocknarea where she was buried, standing upright facing the eastern sunrise.

Strandhill is steeped in legend, mythology and history. The 1985 committee decide to hold the first Warriors Run, incorporating a combination of all of the above ideas and imagery.

The initial race finished on top of Knocknarea at the Cairn but, in order to facilitate the wishes of the runners themselves, and improve on the race from a spectator point of view, it was extended to return to the beachfront again. Little could they have known that in the following years, the race would expand into the huge event it is today, attracting runners from many countries worldwide.

The 25th Annual Warriors Run takes place on Saturday, August 29^th, 2009. If you want to be part of this historic race, the present committee recommends early online registration at www.warriorsfestival.com.

As it is the 25th Anniversary of this unique race, a weekend festival is being organised with great entertainments for all to enjoy. And if you find yourself in a local pub, as an innocent conversation unfolds about a visible peak – might be best to say nothing, and keep saying it.

See you in Strandhill in August, fellow Warriors.

* Micki Murray is the PRO of The Warriors Run, and a warrior in his own right. Or wrong, as the case may be, warriors being such tricky individuals. This year’s run is confined to 800 runners, so get in early.