About
Granite Peaks Ultras is organised independently by two co-race directors, Matt O’Reilly and Ciarán McAleenan. Any surplus is reinvested into the races, and £5 of every entry goes to Mourne Heritage Trust for upland path repair in the Mournes.
Rising straight from the Irish Sea, the Mourne Mountains are Ireland’s wildest granite range: jagged summit tors, wild open moorland, hidden valleys, and the legendary Mourne Wall, a century-old stone wall built by hand over fifteen summits. This is the landscape said to have inspired C.S. Lewis’s Narnia. For one weekend in April, it’s yours to race.
Why Granite Peaks?
- Three UTMB Index races in one of Europe’s most underrated mountain ranges
- Proper mountain terrain: rugged, remote, and unforgettable
- An independent race, run by mountain runners for mountain runners
- About an hour from Belfast and two from Dublin, with flights from across Europe
- A small field and a warm Irish welcome
Three editions
Edition 1: 2024
A 50 km and a 25 km.
Edition 2: 2025
A 50 km and an 80 km. The 80 km was an Irish Championship trail race, used for Irish team qualification for the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships.
Edition 3: 2027
The 80 km is retired and replaced by the new 100 km, with revamped 50 km and 25 km courses.
Matt O’Reilly (left) and Ciarán McAleenan at the start of the 2026 Swiss Alps 100, 160 km.
Everyone is welcome
We want everyone to feel welcome and safe at Granite Peaks, and we have a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory behaviour.
Contact the race directors: racedirectors@granitepeaksultras.com