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Art O'Neill Challenge

Art O'Neill Challenge
The Bermingham Tower at Dublin Castle, from whence a 1592 escape was effected that is commemorated today by the Art O'Neill Challenge
DateAnnually in January[1]
LocationCounty Dublin and County Wicklow, Ireland
Event typeUltramarathon
Road running
Mountain running aka Fell running
Mountain hiking
Distance60km (as of 2025)[1]
Established2009 (2009)[1]
Course recordsMen's: 4:51:06 (2019)
Germany Florian Reichert[2]
Women's: 7:05:00 (2015)
Republic of Ireland Suzanne Kenny[3]
Official siteThe Art O'Neill
Participants200 (Art O'Neill Challenge)
200 (AON Pursuit)[4]

The Art O'Neill Challenge,[5] also known as the AON Challenge,[6] the Art O'Neill Ultra[7] or simply The Art O'Neill,[1] is a 60[1] kilometre Irish ultramarathon[7] overnight endurance race that begins at Dublin Castle, typically at midnight, and finishes at Glenmalure in the Wicklow Mountains the following day.[1][7] The event takes place annually in the month of January, starting on a Friday night, and finishing the day after.[3][7][8]

The event recreates the Elizabethan era escape of Red Hugh O'Donnell and brothers Art and Henry O'Neill from Dublin Castle on 6 January 1592, and the subsequent journey by Art and Red Hugh to Glenmalure.[1][9] Shortly after the trio were free of the castle, Henry O'Neill was separated from the pair and went his own direction, eventually returning safely to Ulster.[10][11][12]: 05:06  O'Donnell and Art, however, alongside a guide sent to help them, continued south to the rural valley of Glenmalure, a rebel stronghold where they knew they would find safety. The men undertook the lengthy journey from Dublin by foot in the middle of winter wearing wholly unsuitable 16th century clothing and footwear consisting of linens and tunics.[12]: 06:33 [13] Along the journey over the mountains, Art O'Neill died of exposure,[14] whilst O'Donnell survived, but lost both big toes to frostbite.[10]

As of the 2025 event, the Art O'Neill Challenge (consisting of Trek, Hybrid and Run categories) is capped at a limit of 200 entrants, who are selected by a free lottery process in the months leading up to the event.[6] Once selected, each successful applicant is required to pay a fee to secure their place.[15][16] Since 2023, a shorter event named the AON Pursuit has taken place alongside the main AON Challenge on the same night, but only covers the first 25 km of the route, and is only open to runners. An additional 200 entrants compete in the AON Pursuit, bringing the total number of competitors to 400.[13][15] The volunteer rescue service Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue have been the organiser and sole beneficiary of the event since 2018.[1][15]

The challenge has been completed by at least one runner in less than 5 hours,[2] whereas it typically takes walkers "anywhere between twelve and seventeen hours" to complete.[3][3] The event has been described by History Ireland as a "unique endeavour that combines history, hill-walking, mountain-running, élite international ultra-running and tourism".[3]

The inner courtyard of Dublin Castle in 2022
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "About". artoneill.ie. Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Thanks to everyone who made #AON19 a great Art O'Neill Challenge! Congrats to Florian Reichert, who smashed the course record with a time of 4:51:06..." x.com. Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team [Official @DWMRT account on X (formerly Twitter)]. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Cowley 2015, p. 7.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2024_400Fugitive was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Art O'Neill Challenge 2024". results.primaltracking.com. Primal Tracking. 13 January 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Home". artoneill.ie. Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d McConnell, Matthew (24 January 2022). "6 Things I learnt from the Art O'Neill Ultra". outsider.ie. Outsider (Ireland's Adventure Magazine). Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  8. ^ Conlon, Padraig (10 January 2019). "David's Art O'Neill Challenge for Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue". dublingazette.com. Dublin Gazette. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference DIB_b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference FMcN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Thursday, 6th January, was the 430th anniversary of the 1592 escape of Art and..." facebook.com. Art O Neill Events (Official Facebook account of the Art O'Neill Challenge). 8 January 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2024.[self-published]
  12. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference 2018_Escape was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference CGlees was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Ó Raghailligh 2010, p. 9.
  15. ^ a b c "Art O'Neill Challenge 2025". eventmaster.ie. Dublin & Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2018_outsider was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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