CHARLES BARRINGTON RACE THIS DECEMBER!

Issued 15th December 2009

Christmas normally tends to give everyone the bird. This time make it an eagle rather than a turkey. Eat an eagle? Well not really! Instead of eating an eagle you could go for an eagle's eye view of Wicklow on Sunday the 27th December from the top of the Sugarloaf before lunch with a brisk run up and down the mountain from Kilmacanogue in the Charles Barrington Memorial Race on the Sugarloaf.

The race commemorates local man Charles Barrington - a hero of Irish climbing and the first man to climb the infamous man killing Eiger in Switzerland 150 years ago. Last year, a plaque to the Fassaroe man was finally unveiled on the Heritage Centre in Bray to great fanfare. The Sugarloaf race is an appropriate commemoration as Barrington also organised the first ever mountain race in Ireland on the Sugarloaf 130 years ago.

The winners of the last three races Colm Mullen, James McFadden and Peter O'Farrell are going toe to toe on the challenging 3.5 mile race and as entry is open to everyone, you could be there too! So come along at 11.15 to register at the Glencormac Inn at Kilmacanogue and you could collect the winner's medal. The Irish Mountain Running Association with the help of Bray Town Council, Bray Tourism & the Barrington family are organising the race. Parking is available at the church and school behind the Glencormac Inn.

The race is open to everyone and to give you an idea of time last year's winner Peter O'Farrell took a very rapid 28 minutes to get up and down the course. Even if you don't wish to participate in the race, do come along and watch, the race begins at 12 noon from the GAA Pitch, Kilmacanogue. While local politicians Caroline Burrell & David Grant can't take part as they are helping to organise the race, they've persuaded the Swiss Ambassador to run and try to break his time from last year, so there'll be a bit of diplomatic activity on the mountain that day!