On February 27, the “Newport Rocky Mountain High” gravel event will have participants’ hearts racing, legs and lungs burning as they pursue gravel glory in this new event hosted by the Raceface family.

Starting and finishing at the Newport Hotel, runners will take the Wiry Hills route through the Furnace Lakes, the gravel tracks of the Rocky Way walking trail and sections of a route steeped in folklore and history.

With views of the Glendahurk Horseshoe to your right, majestic Clewbay and Croagh Patrick to your left as you cycle towards Mulranny, this scenic drive is one to savour! The return leg will be a reverse loop of gravel sections with the last few miles descending into Newport via the Wild Nephin Drive, sure to be fun and exhilarating.

This event will feature a timed gravel section, which covers all gravel (off-road) sections. Like a Gran Fondo, it is up to the participants to decide if they want to run these sectors or simply enjoy them like a Sportsman.

Going hard on the neutral section would be a shame as you won’t enjoy the natural beauty of the Fournaise lakes!

The route is fully marked and for those who are tech-savvy it is also available to download from the Komoot website on their GPS device.

The fastest male and female runners in the timed sections will be crowned Rocky Mountain High Champions!

There is sure to be a real feel-good vibe after the event, both inside and outside the Newport Hotel where the event is taking place! Come take a look or make it a real “wild” weekend in Newport, where storytelling, music and craic are all part of the fun…

David Keogh, manager of Greenway Hotels and Hotel Newport, looks forward to the upcoming event, saying ‘The Rocky Mountain High’ is the first of many events to take place from the hotel and area. This year. It’s a very exciting time for Newport, made even better with the recent lifting of restrictions. We look forward to welcoming cyclists and supporters who will hopefully come out the same day to cheer on the participants.

Sean Kelly of Kelly’s Butchers and Café looks forward to welcoming all attendees from here and abroad to Newport and all of its attractions. All participants will receive special treatment from nationally renowned butchers.

The town with the Viaduct and the Seven Arch Bridge is a famous crossing point on the Great Western Greenway among other attractions like Newport House, Princess Grace Park, Harry Clarke Windows, Wild Nephin National Park and as Gate gateway to Achill Island and the North West.

To enter, go to www.racefaceface.ie

Entry fee includes: timing, whimsical marked route, food and convenience area, category prizes, post-event refreshments and a donation to the Burrishoole Hall Project.

The event is supported by the Newport business community, Mayo.ie, Mayo walking trails, Komoot, Kelly’s Butchers, Greenway Hotels, run4time and Raceface.ie.