Celtic 100k

Welcome to the Celtic 100k – an exciting new 100km foot race in Galway, Ireland. On a flat course adjacent to the seafront promenade, participants can enjoy the fresh air of Galway Bay as they seek personal best performances over the 62.1-mile distance. The Celtic 100k is an IAU-labelled race: Ireland’s first official world-ranking ultra event. It is recognised and endorsed by UltraRunning Ireland, the national governing body for ultrarunning.

The inaugural event on 28 March 2009 will also incorporate the Anglo Celtic Plate, a home countries international between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. The very best 100k ultra athletes in these nations will battle it out for individual honours. Five- and four-person teams will also compete in male and female divisions, respectively. The lowest cumulative time of each nation’s top three performers will determine the team title for men. The women’s title will be determined by the top two performances of each nation. In addition to the home countries international, the 2009 Celtic 100k will decide the titles of the UK 100km Championships and the 100km Championships of Ireland. Although the upcoming race incorporates the home countries international competition, it is an open event in which athletes from any nation can take part. The entry fee is EUR 30.

Our Races and Our Stories

The Celtic 100k is Ireland’s first official world-ranking ultra event. We are recognized and endorsed by Ultrarunning Ireland.

During one of our races conducted there was an unexpected death of two athletes. This was rarest of the cases, minor accidents, injuries were often encountered but death was not something we were prepared for. We got on scene and the whole race had to be stopped and the area red tagged due to the severity of the scene. We later get to know that there was a huge fight that broke down in between the two groups of athletes before the race even started. The authorities were not available now because the athletes were there early for their preparation and warm up. As per the other people to witness the fight it was impossible for someone else to enter in and stop them, they were very violent and aggressive. They started hitting each other with everything that they could lay their hands on around them. The two athletes who died were hit struck on the head with dumbbell and a steel rod found on the warmup section. 

When the authorities arrived there, it was too late. As the race was organized in Baltimore, we were suggested the Alpha Crime Scene Cleanup as the best Crime Scene Cleanup agency by the locals there. The other athletes involved in the fight were arrested by the police. It was an emotionally jarring experience. The area was such a mess and blood splatters all over, everything was scattered here and there. But thanks to Alpha Crime Scene Cleanup they had our back, they didn’t just clean the scene, they were patient, kind, polite and very compassionate with their work. Thy did all the aftermath process so well and consoled all the people who were traumatized by the incident. They mad the place look like nothing ever happened there. They took care of the scene all on their own all we had to do was sit there. We cannot thank them enough with words about how we truly the appreciate them.

Latest News

The Celtic 100k will start at 8am in Salthill, Galway. The first finishers of the required 50-lap route from Seapoint to Threadneedle Road should be finished at 3pm. Incredibly, they will be running at sub-3 hour marathon pace for two-and-a-half consecutive marathons.

This 100km race is the first world-ranking ultra event to be held in Ireland. It also incorporates the ‘Anglo Celtic Plate’, a Home Countries International competition between Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. In addition, the 2009 Celtic 100k decides the individual titles of the UK 100km Championships and the 100km Championships of Ireland. The 50-person race field will have 38 international competitors, including eleven entered by the German Ultramarathon Federation which is sending three teams to the open competition. Among the participants are former European title holders and several national champions and record holders. The race will be professionally chip-timed. Two lanes of road adjacent to the promenade overlooking Galway Bay will be closed for the duration of the event.

The car park in Salthill, near Seapoint, will be utilised as the start / finish and refreshment area. The Salthill Hotel is the HQ for the race.All are welcome to witness a unique international event beside the Salthill promenade. Admission is free! The Celtic 100k will be run on a completely flat section of road adjacent to the seafront promenade at Salthill, Galway. The course will be a circuit of 2km total and competitors must complete this route 50 times. Both lanes of this principal road overlooking Galway Bay will be shut down to traffic for the duration of the race.