Third time lucky as Ballyshannon man sets World Record for Malin-Mizen-Malin cycle

If at first you don’t succeed, then try and try again. At the beginning of June, Ballyshannon ultra cyclist Karol McNern set out from  Malin Head on a Malin-Mizen-Malin unsupported cycle world record attempt but had to abandon the attempt when the seat post on his bicycle crumbled in Galway.

Two weeks later he was on the road again but he hit railway tracks in Limerick and had to again abandon the attempt.

But on Friday morning last he set out for the third time at 7 a.m. from  Malin Head and this time he was successful, returning to Malin Head at 11.45 a.m. on Sunday morning - a time of 53 hours and 28 minutes.

It was the first time an unsupported cycle from Malin to Mizen and back to Malin was attempted. Karol was on his own, nobody supplied food or drinks or cycle spares. He had to do his own shopping and any repairs that were necessary.

The Malin-Mizen-Malin cycle has been accomplished on numerous occasions but with a support  group attached. Karol’s coach, legendary ultra cyclist Joe Barr, holds the record for the supported cycle.

With most of Donegal on their way to  Croke Park for the All-Ireland semi-final Karol says it was a good time to come back to the county as the roads were relatively quiet, especially on the final loop from Letterkenny to Malin.

The cycle was completed as part of a fund-raiser for the Bundoran Lifeboat, something that is close to  Karol’s heart as he was a volunteer on the boat prior to suffering a life-changing injury in 2017.

The most remarkable part of last weekend’s feat by the Ballyshannon man is that he really had no right to be back on a bicycle after the 2017 accident when he was in collision with a car at Grange in Co Sligo when out on a training spin.

His arm was badly damaged and he was out of action for months only then to find that he had a fractured leg as well. But with the help of friends, he got back on the bike and, as last weekend proves, his willingness to go through the pain barrier is quite remarkable.

The total length of the cycle is 1,180 kms - all done in just over two days without any sleep.

Anyone wishing to donate to the charity linked to the cycle can do so by visiting the Bundoran RNLI webpage

(See Thursday’s Donegal Democrat for full  feature)