How do you fancy '24 hours of hell' in Donegal this weekend? Then the organisers of this event think they have just what you are looking for

The organisers of what has been described as Ireland's toughest endurance challenge are offering "24-hours of hell" in Donegal this weekend.

Up to 100 of the fittest and strongest men and women will set off from the starting line at Donegal's Glenveigh National Park (pictured above) at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, not many more than half are expected to complete the course.

Established four years ago by endurance enthusiasts David Burns and Maghnus Smith, 'The Race' will include 250km of running, rafting and cycling across the rugged landscape of to be completed within a 24-hours time frame.

"We designed it to be hell, and we want it to be a challenge that people will come from far and wide to try," explains David Burns.

"It's for that reason that we first went to Donegal, and chose a time of year when the conditions were still tough and unpredictable, but there was at least going to be enough daylight to get the competitors most of the way around the course."

Competitors will start from Garten Adventure Centre in the picturesque Glenveigh National Park at 5am tomorrow (Saturday morning), and over the following day and night will be asked to complete 64km of road and trail running, 15km of kayaking along Lough Swilly, 166km of cycling, much of it along a coastal stretch around Bloody Foreland, and 5km of mountain running.

This year’s field includes athletes from the USA, UK and from across Europe, alongside some of the best known endurance athletes in Ireland. Based on previous races, the organisers expect that significantly under two-thirds will finish the course, while the winner is expected to cross the finishing line at approximately the 15 hours mark.

Established as a charity fundraiser for international development organisation Gorta-Help Africa, the 2017 edition of ‘The Race’ is expected to raise more than €70,000 for the cause.

Organisers David Burns and Maghnus Collins established the event shortly after they had completed their own epic trans-global challenge, a run, raft and cycle that took them across the ancient Silk Roads from Istanbul to Shanghai, and took more than ten months to complete.

They have also previously cycled from Dublin to Cape Town, South Africa, and back, have run the Sahara Sand Marathon, and in 2015 made an unsuccessful attempt to become the first competitors to swim around the entire coastline of Ireland.

To find out more about this year’s ‘The Race’ visit www.therace.ie for more information.