When three Artane Beaumont RC members couldn’t make the revised start time for the Ballymun Backyard Ultra, they decided to bring the challenge closer to home, taking on their own unofficial ABRC Backyard Ultra through the local streets and parks of Artane and Beaumont.
With just three members taking part, true to form, the club rallied and supported their colleagues. With ABRC now the fastest-growing Athletics Ireland-affiliated club in the past year, members showed up in big numbers to join in for a few loops in the heat, and to cheer on their club mates along the route.
Sure, the rules of a Backyard Ultra means you can’t have people joining in as you’re supposed to run solo loops until there’s one person left, but this run was about more than that. It was about the spirit of one of Ireland’s newest and fastest growing athletics clubs taking on a challenge, and the connection between the members to keep the momentum going.
“We had horns beeping, neighbours waving, and familiar red and blue vests everywhere. It really showed how far we’ve come as a club,” said David, Co-Founder of Artane Beaumont RC. “There’s something special about seeing your own community back you like that.”
Despite the blazing sun (and more than a few sunburns), the day was a massive success, and there’s no doubt it’ll become a regular fixture in the ABRC calendar.
