Hellevation 26: One of Ireland’s Friendliest Backyard Ultra Delivers Pure Magic in a Tipperary Village
Wayne McGuigan gets 3 in a row !
By Sean Clifford · · Race Report
Hellevation 26 turned a quiet Tipperary village into Ireland’s ultimate backyard battlefield. Wayne McGuigan smashed the course record with a staggering 36 loops (241km) for his third straight win, while debutants and veterans battled brutal hills and endless craic deep into the night.
Born from a Training Run in the Hills
In the heart of rural County Tipperary, the small village of Grange transformed into Ireland’s ultimate backyard battlefield over the weekend of 4–5 April 2026. Hellevation 26, Munster’s flagship Backyard Ultra and a key event in the All Ireland Backyard Championship Series, once again delivered everything ultra runners crave: brutal hills, stunning scenery, unbreakable community spirit, and raw emotional moments that will be remembered long after the last loop.
The event owes its existence to a simple training session. Organisers PJ Meehan and Tom Owens were preparing for a flatter backyard ultra in Northern Ireland when they realised the potential of their local loops.“After about 4 loops, we kinda just said to each other ‘Wouldn’t this be a real testing BYU for people who want to test themselves on something different?’ And the idea just grew from there,” they explained.
Over the following weeks they connected with Sammy Daye in Northern Ireland and turned the idea into reality. Three years later, Hellevation has become a highlight of the Irish ultra calendar.