A NEW competition in Ireland and of course due to be held at the pioneering racetrack, Punchestown, is one of the most gruelling of obstacle course races, involving lots of mud, physical challenges and a finish where (human) runners leap fire! Spartan Race makes its debut in Ireland this spring and the entry level race is just 5km, so everyone can have a go.

Sunday, May 27th is the date and with the going likely to be soft to very muddy, runners will have to wade through bogs, scale slippery, seven-foot ramps, clamber up 25 foot high cargo nets, lug 10kg sandbags up steep hills, climb 15 foot ropes, crawl under barbed wire on their stomachs, then leap a ‘fire jump’ finale over blazing logs as their grandstand finish.