With this weeks announcement of the new Challenge Galway race (http://www.challenge-galway.eu/) we thought it important we catch up with the Race Director and CEO of Challenge Galway to find out more about this new race.

Check out the interview here.

Hi Liam, congratulations about the launch of Challenge Galway, can you tell us a bit about the course and what athletes can expect and tell us a bit about Galway itself? I have visited the area before and know how beautiful it is…

It is indeed! Galway is the cultural heart of ireland. We incorporate some of the most breathtaking scenery in the West of Ireland, including the Wild Atlantic Way; which is the world’s longest coastal driving route, The UNESCO Global Geopark Burren & Cliffs of Moher blended with the wonderful festival city of Galway in one big festival of sport. Seriously, the images of this area do not begin to define its drama and beauty! We are offering a challenging course which rewards effort with outstanding beauty and unbelievable support and atmosphere of this festival city. Galway has a proven track record in hosting large scale festivals - we plan to combine that festival atmosphere with an event for everyone to participate & enjoy

How long have you been working to bring Challenge to Ireland and what is it about this race series that is a bit special?

As with any event of this size, there is an awful lot of time, effort and planning that goes into selecting and securing the right venue. Not singe the Volvo Ocean race in 2009 & 2012 has there been an event of this magnitude in in the West of Ireland. We wanted to be absolutely certain that we could deliver the high expectations of our athletes before launching this event and I believe we will far exceed expectations.

For the pros, what sort of prize package is available and have you had any early entries in the pro race yet?

We’ve already had a lot of pro interest. We are working closely with our Challenge Family Global Pro Liaison - Belinda Granger to develop our pro athlete experience program. As with all Challenge Family prize purses, the reward will be generous.. It’s really important to us that everyone is treated as family and that all of our athletes, supporters and locals benefit from the pro’s involvement in the race.

Naturally, Ireland has a huge draw; given there has never been a full distance event of scale here. So for the athletes, this is a brand new territory to discover and conquer.