Incredible - cyclist on course to do Malin to Mizen and back in under 55 hours

Inspirational Eglinton cyclist Joe Barr is on the verge of yet another incredible achievement – he’s on course to cycle from Malin Head to Mizen Head and back in record breaking time. The endurance cyclist is set to complete the 773.5 mile non-stop journey from one end of Ireland to the other and back. The current record stands at 55 hours and three minutes. The IFS Global Logistics sponsored UMCA solo TT race for the record began at 12noon on Friday. At 8.00 am on Sunday morning he had around 100 miles to go. Incredibly, he hadn’t slept in 43 hours at that time. Throughout the night Joe relentlessly covered more and more ground through unforgiving headwinds and typical Irish weather. Just before 12.00 pm on Saturday, Joe emerged from the mist of the Celtic Sea which surrounds Mizzen Head. He reached Mizzen Head in just under 24 hours. This was an incredible pace on his southbound race, and just as soon as he arrived he turned the wheels and began to make his northbound attack. Barr is no stranger to remarkable events. He completed the gruelling 3,020-mile Race Across America (RAAM) in a time of 11 days, one hour and eight minutes. He was one of eight members of Team Ireland that made sports history as they cycled from Oceanside, California on the Pacific Coast across to Annapolis in Maryland on the East coast in what is regarded as one of the toughest and challenging cycle endurance competitions. And it was all in a good cause – Barr was raising funds to bring the American charity HOPECAM to Ireland. It provides assistance to children who are cancer victims. Joe was the first Irish cyclist in history to win a solo world championship endurance cycle race.