Granite Peaks Races (25th May 2025)
Granite Peaks Ultra 80k
The Granite Peaks Ultra (80km) event starts at 6:00am on Sunday 25th May 2025 at Tollymore Forest Park, Bryansford. After registration in the Forest's upper main carpark the race starts and finishes on the trail just below lower main car park (See Runners Guide for location maps and car parking/ car sharing advice).
After a tour of both Tollymore and Donard Forests (approximately 30km) the race makes its way towards the Kings Grave (Tollymore Forest), and beyond to Trassey Track. The route continues up Trassey Track turns right once through the upper stile and heads for Happy Valley where it follows the track up to the tower on Meelmore, crossing the stile to the interior of the Mourne Wall the race proceeds in an anticlockwise direction, over Meelbeg, Loughshannagh, Carn, Slievemuck towards Slievenaglogh and down to the dam at Silent Valley.
The race will continue up the access road alongside the Silent Valley and Ben Crom Reservoirs climbing the steps and making its way to the Slieve Binnian summit, via the Slievelamaghan/ Binnian col where it will follow the Mourne Wall down to the track at the edge of Annalong Wood. From there it will go up the track past the Blue Lough to Slievelamaghan and make its ways to The Brandy Pad, via Cove Mountain and Slieve Beg. It continues in an easterly direction to reach the Mourne Wall at the foot of Rocky where it again will turn left towards the Bog of Donard before ascending Slieve Donard, Commedagh, Slieve Corragh and Slievenaglogh. At which point it descends to Hares Gap before climbing up and over Slieve Bearnagh, climbing Meelmore (for the second time) before descending towards the sheep pen at the top of the Trassey Track. From there the route follows Trassey Track and back into Tollymore Forest, past Kings Grave again and on to the finish line beside the wooden hut on the trail just below Forest's lower main car park.
Granite Peaks Ultra 50k
The Granite Peaks Ultra (50k) event starts at 9:00am on Sunday 25th May 2025 at Tollymore Forest Park, Bryansford. After registration in the Forest's upper main carpark the race starts and finishes on the Tollymore Forest trails (See Runners Guide for location maps and car parking/ car sharing advice).
The starting point of the race is at the base of the hill behind the Tollymore National Outdoor Centre (approximately 1.5km up the trail from the Forest's lower main car park). From there it makes its way down the hill, turning right at the bottom and heading over Parnell’s Bridge towards the Kings Grave, and beyond to Trassey Track. The route continues up Trassey Track turns right once through the upper stile and heads for Happy Valley where it follows the track up to cross the Mourne Wall at the col between Meelmore and Meelbeg, proceeding in an anti-clockwise direction over Meelbeg, Loughshannagh, Carn, Slievemuck towards Slievenaglogh and down to the dam at Silent Valley.
The race will continue up the access road alongside the Silent Valley and Ben Crom Reservoirs climbing the steps and making its way to the Slieve Binnian summit, via the Slievelamaghan/ Binnian col where it will follow the Mourne Wall down to the track at the edge of Annalong Wood. From there it will go up the track past the Blue Lough to Slievelamaghan and make its ways to The Brandy Pad, via Cove Mountain and Slieve Beg. It continues in an easterly direction to reach the Mourne Wall at the foot of Rocky where it again will turn left towards the Bog of Donard before ascending Slieve Donard, Commedagh, Slieve Corragh and Slievenaglogh. At which point it descends to Hares Gap before climbing up and over Slieve Bearnagh, climbing Meelmore before descending towards the sheep pen at the top of the Trassey Track.
From there the route follows Trassey Track and back into Tollymore Forest, past Kings Grave again and on to the finish line beside the wooden hut on the trail just below Forest's lower main car park.
Granite Peaks 25
The Granite Peaks 25k event starts at 11:00am on Sunday 25th May 2025 at Tollymore Forest Park, Bryansford. After registration in the Forest's upper main carpark the race starts and finishes on the Tollymore Forest trails (See Runners Guide for location maps and car parking/ car sharing advice).
The race starts at the base of the hill behind the Tollymore National Outdoor Centre (approximately 1.5km up the trail from the Forest's lower main car park). From there it makes its way towards the Kings Grave, and beyond towards Trassey Track. The route continues up Trassey Track turns right once through the upper stile and heads for Happy Valley where it follows the track up to cross the Mourne Wall at the col between Meelmore and Meelbeg, proceeding in an anti-clockwise direction following the wall to the stile at the col between Slieve Loughshannagh and Carn Mountain.
From there the race takes a left turn down the track between Loughshannagh and Doan all the way to the top of Ben Crom Dam. Crossing the dam the race continues leftwards and follows the track up and over Slievelamaghan, across Cove and Beg mountains and descending onto the Brandy Pad. At that point the races takes a left and follows the Brandy Pad to Hare’s Gap crosses the stile and descends towards the sheep pen at the top of the Trassey Track.
From there the route follows Trassey Track and back into Tollymore Forest, past Kings Grave again and on to the finish line beside the wooden hut on the trail just below Forest's lower main car park.
Mandatory Safety Kit
1. Runners are to have the mandatory minimum race kit, which comprises:
- Footwear suited to the race terrain (fell shoes not road trainers),
- Waterproof whole-body cover (with taped seams and integrated attached hood),
- Hat and gloves,
- Map of route, whistle, and compass,
- Bivouac (aka bivy) bag,
- Emergency Foil Survival Blanket, and
- Fully charged mobile phone with the race director’s number(s) stored (Note: mountain rescue call is 999 – Ask for ‘Police’ then ‘Mountain Rescue’)
- Tracking device (supplied by Primal Tracking at Registration),
- Thermal layer, and
- Emergency food and drink (minimum 500 ml water bottle).
2. Any updates to the mandatory kit will be communicated at race registration.
3. Advisory Race Kit
- It is advised that if you are anticipating that your race will exceed 10 hours (Granite peaks Ultra only) that you also bring a fully charged head torch and back up.
- Racers may consider bringing basic first aid supplies with them. Some supplies will be available with marshals for runners to avail of, should they need them. Please note marshals are not trained first aiders
- Sunscreen (even on overcast days the use of sunscreen is advised)
4. Runners may be required to carry additional race kit, which be communicated to runners in advance of the race.
A kit check will take place before the start of the race. Bring your kit to the race registration point and have your kit check completed before getting fitted with your tracker.
Random kit checks may take place during the race and at the end. Runners must comply with any requests for a kit check.
Please note walking poles, headphones or earbuds are not permitted in accordance with NIMRA race guidelines.
Further details are available in the Runners Guidebook
Environmental Protection
The Mourne Mountains are in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and we want to keep things that way. Also much of the race is inside a drinking water catchment area maintained and operated by NI Water. As responsible event organisers and runners we don't want any pollution incidents.
Help us reduce waste, minimise plastic pollution and respect our 'Leave No Trace' policy.
Please bring and fill your own water bottles at the Tollymore Outdoor Centre before the race starts. Water will be available at designated aid stations along the route. No water bottles will be provided.
The full Habitat Impact Assessment and controls sheet is available on our controls page.