by Nick Liddane
A Lord of the Rings-themed pub, The Shire, has just opened its doors in the midst of one of Ireland’s most scenic areas, County Kerry. One of the more enduring species which JRR Tolkien crafted in his Middle Earth anthology was the Ent. Ents are tardy, tree-like shepherds– a product of the landscape. Sisyphus-like, they plod through forests and mountains at their own steady pace, for all eternity. Tolkien could just as easily have been describing ultra-runners. This crazed breed emerged in force on August 1, 2014 to traverse some of south west Ireland’s wildest countryside; forests and mountains. Unforgiving terrain; with everything that Irish weather could throw at them.
The inaugural Tralee 100K Ultra Marathon Challenge was taken up by 43 Ents. It was a healthy mix of the seasoned, aiming to storm their way around the route, the novices, a tad green around the edges, and one wheelchair participant. The support crews were out in forcetoo; armed with all manner of medical equipment, stomach-churning sugary fuel and motivational exhortations. Were it not for these tireless, high-vis gear-clad men and women, the Ents would never have made it out of Fangorn. The balmy day took in the breath-taking vistas of County Kerry; its fields, rolling hills and unspoiled countryside, framed by distant purple mountains and the lapping Atlantic Ocean. That such scenery can still be enjoyed – through the sweat, buckled knees, pain and blisters of the participants – must surely speak volumes for its sheer, stunning beauty. An unstoppable Jacek Latala hurtled through the route to finish first in an astonishing time of 8:40:43. And the first Entwife to clear 100k was Jayne Angilley, in a superb 9:46:28. As each runner crossed, shuffled, or crawled across the finish line, the support did not wane. It was somehow fitting that this Tolkien-esque occasion should begin and end in darkness. The summer sun set on long day – very long for some, yet the crowds swelled.
The day brilliantly captured the spirit of endurance running and all that it represents. It gave locals, national and international runners of all varying ages, levels and experience the opportunity to participate in something truly extraordinary. There was no elitism, exclusivity, nor pettiness. It comprised the athletic, the driven, the unassuming, the masochistic, the hopeful, and the arguably certifiable. The beaming pride of each participant as they donned their medals was simply that they had finished (more or less, in one piece). Each and every participant bore their medal with pride, a massive sense of achievement – and joy at having survived.
The Tralee Ultra Marathon Challenge is one of many running events organised by the Run the Kingdom event management business, the Trojan work ethic of whose staff is to be commended.As the wonderfully sadistic trend of running obscene distances shows no sign of abating in Ireland or elsewhere, it can be confidently said that the Tralee 100K Ultra Marathon was only the first of what will surely be a very successful endurance event for years to come. An invitation to visit Middle Earth, run an ultra-marathon, and have a beer in The Shire is surely an incentive. As this author’s first foray into the insanity that is ultra-running, at the end of the day this mantra which was etched into my consciousness: eat like a Hobbit, but run like an Ent.