Sean’s Wild Atlantic Way Run: Pushing Limits on Ireland’s Wild Coast
For the past 20 days, Kerry trail runner Sean has been doing something that most of us would struggle to even imagine: covering around 90 kilometres a day on foot along the Wild Atlantic Way. He set off from Muff, County Donegal, and is heading south towards Kinsale, County Cork. Choosing to run this direction means tackling the prevailing Atlantic headwinds head-on, making an already daunting challenge even harder.
The Wild Atlantic Way is one of the toughest coastal routes in the world. Stretching over 2,700 kilometres depending on the source, it winds through Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, and Cork. It’s a route of jagged cliffs, wild peninsulas, and relentless Atlantic weather. Most people drive it, some cycle it. Very few attempt to run it.
A Record of Extreme Challenges
This isn’t Sean’s first time testing what the body and mind can endure. Years ago, he set a record on Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain, by running 10,000 metres of vertical gain in 24 hours - essentially running up and down the mountain for an entire day. Last summer, he became the first person to run all 275 peaks on the Vanderlinde–Lenane list in a single push, completing it in 21 days during what was one of the wettest, stormiest Irish summers in living memory. “It rained nearly every single day,” he recalls. “The winds were brutal. It was absolutely mental.”
So when time off work came around this year, he wanted to go even bigger. The Wild Atlantic Way — with its length, its wildness, and its coastal exposure — was the perfect test.
The Learning Curve
Even for someone with Sean’s experience, the first few days were a lesson in pacing and survival. On day one, he ran 103 kilometres at an average pace of 5:40 per kilometre — a blistering speed for that distance. It broke him. “We all do it,” he admits. “You get a bit too excited at the beginning.”
Since then, the journey has had its highs and lows. Some days he wakes up with no energy, struggling through the miles. Other days, the rhythm clicks and the kilometres flow. One of the biggest adjustments was nutrition. In the early stages, he wasn’t eating enough to replace what he was burning, and the fatigue was crushing. “The calories just weren’t going in, and the body wasn’t responding,” he says. Now, with better fueling, hydration, and rest, he’s found a steadier pace that keeps him moving forward.
The Challenge of the Road
Although Sean is a trail runner by nature, this challenge takes place mostly on tarmac. Busy roads, endless asphalt, and the pounding impact on the body make it a completely different kind of test. Add the Atlantic winds, occasional rain squalls, and the constant mental pressure of sharing the road with traffic, and the difficulty only multiplies.
It’s not just his body that’s tested — it’s his mindset. “Everything hurts,” he admits. “Everything.” And yet he keeps going.
Why Do It?
For Sean, the motivation is straightforward: to discover what’s possible. After conquering Carrauntoohil and the 275-mountain list, he needed a challenge that would push his endurance further than ever before. Running nearly 100 kilometres a day, every day, for weeks on end does exactly that.
But beyond personal limits, Sean also wants to prove something larger - that adventure doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need to cross continents, hire guides, or buy exotic equipment to do something extraordinary. Ireland itself offers some of the greatest adventure landscapes in the world, if only you’re willing to step into them.
We'll link up with him again before he hits Kinsale, until then follow Sean's adventure on Instagram: @runseanierun
Follow Sean on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32558830
Like dot watching? Follow his adventure by GPS: https://live.primaltracking.com/waw2025/
