The Warriors Run is a gruelling 15k (approx) race which takes competitors from the Cannon Gun at the beachfront in Strandhill to the top of Knocknarea, around Queen Maeve’s Cairn and back to the beachfront again. For the uninitiated, a 15 Kilometre race might seem easy. Not the Warriors Run! The race is classified as a road and hill race or multi-terrained, so whilst approximately nine of its kilometres are on paved roads, it is the special six kilometres in the middle, to the top of Knocknarea that gives the race its bite. These six kilometres include a 700 foot climb through fields, loose gravel, unsurfaced and heather paths. At its steepest incline on the way up, even the most professional athlete slows to a walk and then braces themselves to face the equally daunting downhill run, back down the often slippery slopes, even in the driest of weather.