Race Information
Date: Saturday 4th July 2026
ENTRIES OPEN: Early June 2026 (online entry here or see links below)
Race Start: 11 am
Race HQ: Spelga Dam (NI Water Car Park)
Race Director: Vicky Ward
Long Course (NIMRA Championship)
- Start time: 11am
- Distance: 20km (13 miles) subject to route choice
- Ascent: 1800m
- (Cut Off Time 13:15 at Deers Meadow road crossing)
- See below for full course details
- Kit requirement: Full (see below)
Short Course (NIMRA League)
- Start time 11.15am (TBC)
- Distance: 11km
- Ascent: 815m
- Click here for route map
- See below for full course details
- Kit requirement: Full (see below)
Note: There will an organised group recce of the short course taking place on the 28th June, starting at 9.30am from the Spelga Dam carpark. If you would like to run the short course race, but are unsure about the route, come along to the recce and get some knowledge of the course!
Results
Provisional results will be streamed live here (3G coverage permitting)
Overview
Both races will start on the track on the lower slopes of Slievenamuck and will visit various summits along the skyline around Spelga reservoir. From Cock Mtn the run to the finish passes below the dam before a last short climb up to the car park. There are two mandatory road crossings but the rest of the course is off-road.
Parking
Runners should park below the dam in the ‘runners only’ car park. Please do not use the public car park or the NI Water car park. Entrance to the runners’ car park is at map ref: 264 274. Marshalls will direct the runners to the car park area. All vehicles and contents are left at the owner’s risk.
Toilets are available at the Spelga public toilets.
Registration will open at 9:45 and close sharp at 10:30 am. Competitors who have arrive after 10:30 will not be permitted to start.
This race will be run under Athletics NI and FRA rules. The minimum safety kit to be carried will be as described in Section 3 of the FRA rules for runners.
Race Number BIBs
Must be worn to the front and be easily read by the marshals at checkpoints along the route.
There will be a cut off time of 13:15 at the marshalled checkpoint at the Deers Meadow road crossing. All runners must report to this checkpoint and ensure that their race number is recorded before continuing on the race route. Any runners arriving at the checkpoint after the cut-off time will be requested by the marshals to proceed to the finish area via the road. Any runners disobeying this instruction and continuing on the race route will be disqualified and barred from entry to future B.A.R.F. organised events. Marshals will remain in position until 13:30. Any runners who can’t reach the the Deers Meadow by this time or arrive there after must return directly to the race HQ via the safest route and MUST NOT continue along the race route. If possible, they should also advise the Race Organiser of their retirement, location and return route via the contact number below.
All runners must report to the race control at the finish area and return their SI Cards, whether they have completed the course or not.
Equipment
This race will be run under permit from NIMRA and in accordance with FRA rules The minimum safety kit to be carried will be:
- Waterproof whole body cover (with taped seams and integrated attached hood)
- Hat of buff
- Gloves
- Whistle
- Map covering the entire course **
- Compass**
- Thermal (foil) blanket or bag
** Map and compass must be physical and not electronic – Use of GPS devices for navigation is not permitted.
( N.B. Walking poles are not permitted under NIMRA rules )
The above is a minimum requirement. A rigorous kit check will be undertaken of each competitor’s safety kit prior to the start. Any competitor not complying with the minimum safety kit will not be permitted to start the race.
Water
Sources of water are limited along the route. Competitors may leave us with a drink bottle which we will transport to the Deers Meadow checkpoint. Please mark your bottle distinctly – it is your own responsibility to ensure you grab the right bottle.
Weather conditions in mountain areas can be very unpredictable and can swing between extremes. Runners should be familiar with the dangers and signs of hypothermia and hyperthermia and what action to take. Please read these leaflets on the FRA website – Hyperthermia Hypothermia – and be prepared.
Timing
Will be by SPORTident SI Cards (aka dibbers) and Control Boxes. Any runners losing their SI Card will be charged a £30 replacement fee. (see here for an outline of the SPORTident timing system).
Retirements
All retiring runners should report to the nearest marshal’s post (if possible), return by the safest, direct route and must report to the race organisers at the finish.
Once competitors have punched the finish control, please proceed promptly to the download desk to record your time and return your SI Card.
Refreshments – will be served at the finish.
History
The first Spelga Skyline race was held in May 1981 and was won by Denis Rankin with Jim Hayes second.
Entries
Entry fees will be £12 for Affiliated, £14 for unaffiliated (U23 and 65+ £7/9). Registration will be pre-entry only, no registration will be available on the day. Race entries will open on 7th June and close on Friday 27th June or sooner if entries are full. Minimum age 18ys (on the day).
Race numbers will be restricted to 150 people.
The Long Course
Competitors must visit all of the checkpoints below in the correct order, with the route between checkpoints being at the runners’ discretion. The course is not marked. The checkpoints marked as “Timed” have control boxes which must be dibbed. All Irish Grid Ref are square J.
It is mandatory for runners to use the stile at Ott Car Park at the start of the Ott Track; runners are not permitted to cross the fence that runs parallel to the Slievenaman Road at any other point.
This is an arduous mountain race on open mountains and entrants should have the necessary required fitness levels and experience before submitting an entry. In bad weather and/or poor visibility navigation skills and experience is an essential requirement for all entrants. This is not a suitable race for novices or new entrants to the sport of mountain running. The race organisers reserve the right to refuse a starting place to anybody whom they deem to not have the requisite experience and/or fitness. The minimum entry age is 18yrs on the day.
| CP | Grid Ref J | Description |
| 1 | 268 274 | Start – Inside gate |
| 2 | 275 279 | Slievenamuck summit / Butter Mountain |
| 3 | 281 279 | Stile at Start of Ott Track |
| 4 | 283 269 | Ott Mountain summit (Timed) |
| 5 | 294 273 | Slieve Loughshannagh summit (Timed) |
| 6 | 282 250 | Slieve Muck summit (Timed) |
| 7 | 271 254 | Deer’s Meadow Road crossing – Cut off 13:15 |
| 8 | 249 241 | Slievemoughanmore summit (Timed) |
| 9 | 244 229 | Eagle summit (Timed) |
| 10 | 234 259 | Rocky Mountain summit (Timed) |
| 12 | 254 268 | Cock Mountain summit (Timed) |
| 13 | 259 272 | Slievenamiskan summit |
| 14 | 265 273 | Bridge below Spelga Dam – follow tapes to Finish |
| 15 | 267 274 | Finish – Spelga car park |
The Short Course
The short course is brand new for 2026 and will be part of the NIMRA League series. It is intended to be a less arduous version of the classic Spelga Skyline route, to be more open to more novice mountain runners and just those looking for a shorter race.
Although the short course is not a marked course, it is designed to be easy to navigate, with the majority of the race following either well established paths or following the Mourne Wall. The section from Pigeon Rock Mountain to Cock Mountain will be marked with flags in the event of poor visibility on the day of the race (TBC).