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sport · Sunday 26 July 2026 · TBA 
Famine Way Ultra
At Starting from Dublin, finishing at Strokestown · Strokestown Park, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon (finish)
At Starting from Dublin, finishing at Strokestown · Strokestown Park, Strokestown, Co. Roscommon (finish)
The Famine Way Ultra is one of the most historically charged long-distance running events in Ireland. On 26-27 July 2026, runners set out from Strokestown Park in Co. Roscommon and travel 104 miles to Dublin, retracing - in reverse - the forced march made by 1,490 Strokestown tenants in 1847. Those men, women and children were marched to Dublin after failing to pay their rent, then boarded coffin ships for North America, many of them never arriving. Running this route is not a casual challenge; it is a deliberate act of remembrance, and that weight gives the event a character unlike almost any other ultra in the calendar. A 50-mile option from Mullingar to Dublin is also available for those stepping up from a shorter distance.
The route runs alongside the Royal Canal for much of its length, keeping runners clear of traffic and on terrain that is largely flat - unusual for an Irish ultra. The full 105-mile field sets off from Strokestown Park on Saturday morning with a 30-hour time limit; the 50-mile field starts near Mullingar at midnight. Aid stations are fixed at regular intervals with drop bag access; mobile stations fill the gaps. Hot food is available at the main aid stations - a detail that matters enormously by hour twenty. GPS tracking covers all participants throughout. Crew support is permitted along the route; pacer or buddy runners must be officially entered. Medical personnel and full event insurance are provided. The organiser, We Run Wild NI, is run by experienced ultramarathon runners and the logistics reflect that.
Strokestown sits roughly 100 miles west of Dublin, just off the N5 in the middle of Co. Roscommon. By car it is about 1 hour 40 minutes from Dublin, or under an hour from Athlone. Free parking is available at Strokestown Park. The organiser runs an optional private coach from Dublin to the start, with the cost split among those who book it - worth checking their website for details closer to the date. If you are travelling independently by public transport, Bus Eireann’s Expressway service runs from Busaras in Dublin to Strokestown, with a journey of roughly two to two and a half hours.
Strokestown Park itself is worth arriving early for - the estate holds the National Famine Museum, a 6-acre walled garden, and guided tours of its Georgian Palladian house. The Woodland Cafe on site opens daily from 10am. There is more to see in Strokestown and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Starting from Dublin, finishing at Strokestown in Strokestown? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Strokestown area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.