Almost 700 athletes competed in Knock ME Down Race traversing Tipperary and Waterford

A massive crowd of almost 700 athletes took to the hills, valleys, mountain trails and lakes of the Knockmealdown Mountains region last Saturday to test their fitness and stamina in the Knock ME Down Adventure Race.

They were blessed with wonderful weather and exceptional ground conditions.

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The event has exploded in popularity since its inception in 2016, when just 90 participants took part.

It now takes over the village of Newcastle for the weekend in late August, starting and finishing in a tremendous atmosphere at the finishing village behind the local GAA hall.

Many of the participants camp out and stay over the weekend and bring a wonderful festive spirit to Newcastle.

Those taking on the longer, 62km route, left Newcastle at 8.30am.

This event, known as the MÓR, begins with a 15km cycle to a transition zone at Kilballyboy Wood outside Clogheen.

Here, participants were taken on a challenging 2.5km run past Loughglenbridge, climbing on to Bay Lough.

On arrival, they got to give their legs a rest, but faced a lung and arm bursting half-kilometre of kayaking around the lake.

This scenic sojourn was followed by a downhill stretch back to the bicycles at Kilballyboy Wood.

From this point, rapidly tiring limbs were dragged on their bikes over the Vee for 21km and on to Mount Melleray Monastery, where a super-challenging 7.5km mixed route of Coillte tracks and forest paths awaited them.

This glorious stretch of the course passed by the Holy Year Cross monument, although most participants will have been completely unaware of the wonderful sights around them.

Having finished in Melleray, MÓR participants again mounted their bikes and prepared for a painful ascent to the ‘County Bounds’, on the border of Waterford and Tipperary. From here they had a gloriously steep descent for the rest of the 13km back into Newcastle.

The supreme champions from 2024 held their crowns. They were Kealey Tideswell and Conor Hennebry.

Conor won by just two seconds, pushed all the way by Adventure Racing Ireland’s Patrick Dundas.

The slightly less punishing event, a 35km Challenge, started via the same course until the return to Kilballyboy Wood Transition Zone.

From here, Challenge participants cycled the 15km route back to Newcastle. Supreme champions on the day were Genevieve Molloy and Kieran McClearn.

All participants returned to a fine selection of refreshments, consumed in a relaxed setting, at the recuperation zone behind the GAA hall.

Knockmealdown Active ,the voluntary group that organised the race, thank everybody who took part for making this such a superb event. They also thank the huge team of volunteers who help every year to make this event happen.

This year there were over 100 marshals and stewards assisting participants to make it safely to the finish line.
Without this wonderful community spirit, it would be impossible to run the event.

Booking for the 2026 race will open in March next year. You can register your interest by signing up for email updates at www.KnockMeDown.ie.

Knock ME Down Mór Female Champion Kealey Tideswell kayaking on Baylough during the race. Picture Cahir Media 

RESULTS:

62km MÓR - SUPREME CHAMPIONS: Kealey Tideswell and Conor Hennebry

Female Over 60: Winner Ger Kelly.

Male Over 60: Winner Kevin Murphy, Runner-up Pat Morrissey, Third Place Paul O’Sullivan-Hourihan.

Female 50 to 60: Winner Nollaigh O'Neill, Runner-up Geraldine Kiely, Third Place Shirley Molloy.

Male 50 to 60: Winner Des Ryan, Runner-up Tom Palmer, Third Place John Gallagher.

Female 40 to 50: Winner Kealey Tideswell, Runner up Denise Molloy, Third Place Ann Horan.

Male 40 to 50: Winner Paul O'Brien, Runner-up Shane O'Neill, Third Place Bernard Keane.

Female Under 40: Winner Sharon Martin, Runner up Ruth Candon, Third Place Aine Mahony.

Male Under 40: Winner Conor Hennebry, Runner up Patrick Dundas, Third Place Garry Carroll.

35km Challenge - SUPREME CHAMPIONS: Genevieve Molloy and Kieran McClearn.

Female Over 60 : Winner Siobhan O[Mahony, Runner up Majella Hynes, Third Place Mary Ryan.

Male Over 60: Winner Michael FitzGerald, Runner up James Delehanty, Third Place Patrick Walsh.

Female 50 to 60: Winner Helen Duffy, Runner up Brigid Coffey, Third Place Regina Byrne.

Male 50 to 60: Winner Larry Stapleton, Runner up Stuart Harron, Third Place Joe Mullins.

Female 40 to 50: Winner Genevieve Molloy, Runner up Elaine Gamble, Third Place Evelyn Maher.

Male 40 to 50: Winner Kieran McClearn, Runner up Jason Drummy, Third Place Neil O'Connor.

Female Under 40: Winner Catriona Delahunty, Runner up Emma Dolan, Third Place Jennifer Kehoe.

Male Under 40: Winner Bill FitzGerald, Runner up Anthony Lawton, Third Place Jack Butler.

Cyclists competing in the Knock ME Down Adventure Race. Picture Cahir Media 

Check out more photos from the Knock ME Down Adventure Race in this week's edition of The Nationalist now on sale in local shops. 

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