Achill Half Marathon and 10k launches sold out 20th anniversary event

THE 20th anniversary Achill Half Marathon and 10k which will take place in July was sold out just three weeks after registration opened with thousands of visitors expected to descend on the island.

The launch of the Achill Half Marathon and 10k, one of Ireland’s most iconic and scenic road races, took place in Achill this week with the 20th anniversary event promising to be one of the best ever.

Taking place on Saturday, July 5, 2025, the Achill Half Marathon and 10k offers runners the chance to experience one of the most stunning race routes in the country - set against the dramatic backdrop of Achill’s rugged Atlantic coastline.

In a testament to its popularity, the 2025 event sold out in record time - just three weeks after registration opened - underscoring the huge enthusiasm and support this race continues to receive from runners across Ireland and beyond.

“Selling out so quickly shows just how special this race is to people,” said Patricia Joyce, Marathon Chairperson. “We can't wait to welcome everyone back to Achill for what’s sure to be our most memorable year yet.”

The launch also revealed that Castlebar-based leading broadband provider, Westnet, has come on to be official sponsor for the 2025 event.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have Westnet on board as our official sponsor,” said Patricia. “Their values align perfectly with the community spirit and energy of the Achill Half Marathon and 10k, and we’re excited to work together to celebrate 20 years of this incredible event.”

Westnet, a leading broadband provider in the west of Ireland, joins the event in a landmark year, bringing a new wave of support and connectivity to an already much-loved race.

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Milestone

This is a milestone year for both Westnet and the Achill Half Marathon, as both are celebrating 20 years in operation this year and 2025 is also the year when full fibre broadband will be available to homes and businesses on Achill Island for the first time.

Westnet CEO Paul Cunnane said: “We’re delighted to be teaming up with the award-winning Achill Half Marathon to celebrate our joint 20th birthday. Westnet has been providing broadband services to the people and businesses of Achill for two decades now, and we’re very excited to be working with National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to deliver full fibre broadband services to the island in the next few months. This means that the people of Achill can continue to enjoy Westnet’s excellent local customer service, but now with up to gigabit speeds.”

Construction of the fibre infrastructure is already well underway, and Westnet expects that many of its Achill Island customers will already be enjoying the benefits of full fibre broadband services by the time the Achill Half Marathon takes place on July 5.

Westnet was established in 2005 to bring broadband services to homes and businesses in rural areas in the west of Ireland. Having built an extensive wireless network to provide coverage in Mayo, Sligo, Galway and Roscommon, Westnet was an early adopter of fibre broadband services, connecting its first fibre customers in 2017, and continues to work with NBI to offer high speed fibre broadband services to homes, farms and businesses through its ever-increasing fibre footprint in the west of Ireland.

Pictured above at the launch were, from left: Kieran Sweeney, Padraig Corrigan, Peter Moore, Westnet; Tia Crowley, Head of Tourism, Mayo County Council; Paul Cunnane, CEO, Westnet, main sponsor; Mairead Conway, Patricia Joyce, Chairperson, Achill Tourism and Achill Half Marathon and Shane Thornton. Pic: Conor McKeown