Supported and unsupported Maple M2M & M2M2M

€235 Solo athlete. 
€379 2 person team. 
€569 4 person team.

Please note: No refunds or deferrals accepted.

The M2M follows the same standard of rules for most unsupported adventure races as first presented by the Transcontinental Race founder Mike Hall. Failure to comply with these rules will result in an instant DQ. 

• Mass Start for every athlete. (Be-early)
• No Shortcuts to be taken, You must follow the GPX route. 
• If you go off course you must return to the point to leave the course and you cannot join back into the route further up the road.
• Ride in the spirit of self sufficiency. 
• All athletes must be in High Viz in Dark Zone hours 9pm-6am.
• All athletes must have front and rear lights on during Dark Zone time of 9pm-6am, failure to do so will be Immediate DQ 
• If self-supported this means you are completely self-supported with no external help with food or mechanical, However you can buy tubes, tyres etc and pay for mechanical assistance in shops. 
• Individuals must carry a provided GPS tracker.
• Drafting is not permitted, unless you are a team.
• Competing Athletes must stay 100 meters apart.
• Everyone will respect the rules of the road. 
• Stop signs – riders must stop and put a foot down. 
• Everyone is responsible for his/her actions, and think safety first when making decisions.
• Common sense always applies
• Athletes’ own personal and health insurance is mandatory.
• Cycling Ireland license members and one day license holders are covered by CI Insurance. 
• Helmets, lights, Hi-Viz reflective gear and fully functional equipment is essential and mandatory.
• Unsupported riders with hard shell bike boxes will not be accommodated. It’s best to transport your bike in a disposable cardboard box.  
• Unsupported riders only get a Bag drop to the finish line. 
• Start line and finish lines are both in remote locations with little accommodation please build this thinking into your race planning.
• Athletes abandoning the race must call Race Director HQ 0879814461 to formally withdraw.
• Finally even unsupported we leave no trace, all rubbish must be taken to a bin and discarded properly. We DO NOT drop rubbish we care about our environment. We at M2M care about the environment.

The M2M Supported rules are simple and short but important to adhere to for your safety with no exceptions.

Ensure you follow these instructions.

• Mass Start for every athlete. (Be-early) 
• All team vehicles must be fully taxed and insured 
• Drivers must hold a valid drivers license.
• All Support vehicles must have two amber flashing roof lights. 
• Bike Race (only) Support vehicles will leave start area at 30min before start time and relocate to a pre-decided location by M2M organiser 20km away from the start line along the race course. (you will be given this location at the online race briefing.  
• Support crews must be in Hi-Viz vest at all times.
• All Support vehicles must leapfrog the athlete during daylight hours, you must not sit behind your athlete and hold up traffic. 
• All Supported athletes will have a Mandatory team Direct follow during the Dark zone from 9pm until 6am. 
• All Riders must be self sufficient for those first 20k (mechanical, punctures etc) as there will be no support given. 
• Everyone follows the event specific fixed GPX course.
• Everyone (Athletes and Crew) will respect the rules of the road. 
• Supported athletes can bike change as many times as wished.
• All bike changes must be only on the left handside of the road.
• Support crew must pull off the road to make a safe team handover or bike change.
• Pairs or the 4 person teams must have at least one rider on the road at any one time.
• All athletes must be in High Viz in Dark Zone hours 9pm-6am.
• All athletes must have front and rear lights on during Dark Zone 9pm-6am
• Helmets, lights, Hi-Viz reflective gear and fully functional equipment is essential and mandatory.
• If you go off course you must return to the point to leave the course and you cannot join back into the route further up the road.
• Riders must carry the provided GPS tracker (that way your team will never lose you) 
• Drafting is not permitted unless competing as a pair or team.
• Competing Athletes must stay 100 meters apart.
• Cycling Ireland license members or a purchased one day license holders are permitted to ride
• Startline and finish lines are both in remote locations with little accommodation please build this thinking into your race planning.
• Anyone abandoning the race must call 0879814461 to formally withdraw. 
• Everyone is responsible for his/her actions, and think safety first when making decisions.
• Common sense always applies. 
• Finally we leave no trace, all rubbish must be taken home, you discard nothing. We at Maple M2M care about the environment.

MIZEN 2 MALIN BIKE ROUTE map HERE

1. Click the link open in Ride with Gps (you may need to open a free account) 
2. Download the route in offline mode so you do not require mobile data during the event.
3. Save the offline route on your phone as a backup. 
4. To send the route to your navigation device

MALIN 2 MIZEN BIKE ROUTE map HERE

MIZEN 2 MALIN BIKE ROUTE map HERE

Click the link open in Ride with Gps

1.  Download each direction separately to avoid navigational mapping over mapping issues
2. Download the route in offline mode so you do not require mobile data during the event.
3. Backup the route by downloading on your phone. 
4. To send the route to your navigation device

Race Contacts
Laura Black is the 2023 Race Director and is contactable on 0035387 4455111

While the race is in progress, you can get in touch with the team via

SMS / Helpline:
Sharon Black (second poc) 0035386 0753084
Jason Black (Final poc) 0035387 9814461

M2M2M Race start is at 7am sharp on Friday 12th July 2023

Start line : Malin Head 

U-Turn Location: Mizen Head

Finish line: Malin Head 

M2M BIKE START is at 7:00am on Saturday 13th July 2023

Start line: Mizen Head

Finish line: Malin Head 

All finishers will receive a Maple M2M Finisher medal.

Social Media 

M2M will be making event updates via the following channels: 

Instagram: @race_ireland

Facebook: facebook.com/RaceIreland

In addition to following riders on our website and social media sites, will be sending out updates, images and commentary on how riders are progressing, who’s had ten punctures, who slept where, who’s having the time of their life and who is crying tears in a ditch. 

Primal tracking is supplying the tracking services and GPS units to each rider allowing family friends sponsors and charities follow the event on the route maps
The official hashtag for this cycling event is #M2M2023.

M2M  Sign On

M2M2M Bikers Registration opens at Malin head, 6am on July 12th, 2023

M2M Bikers Registration opens Mizen head at 6am on July 13th, 2023 

Please make sure you bring the following documents with you: 

Cyclists have ID + Cycling Ireland Licence or Purchased Cycling Ireland one day licence 

1.Check point of contact information – We like to be sure we have your current mobile number while you are racing and the correct contact details for your crew chief and next of kin. 

2. Check supporting transports tax and Insurance and Drivers license etc 

3. Check helmet, lights and reflector jacket. (Unsupported – foil blanket)

Copies of your insurance and id should be carried with you during the ride in case of any emergency. 

GPS tracking 

The trackers weigh just a little under 100 grams! They will be switched on for you on arrival and will stay going for the duration of the event. The interval is set to 5 minutes. The device is waterproof but it is best to protect it and keep it somewhere dry, especially during heavy rain. The device should run for a week when fully charged. 

The unit uses GPS satellites and cellular networks to transmit the location data. It is sensitive enough that you can keep it in a bag or pocket. Make sure it is not directly near your smartphone or other GPS devices for best performance. 

Please turn on and test your tracker as soon as you can after registration.

Your name and number will show up live on the race map on the race Ireland website for friends family, your charity and sponsors to follow in support.

Scratching 

What happens on the road is anyone’s bet and should unforeseeable events prevent you from continuing and you decide to drop out or ‘scratch’, please report this as soon as possible by emailing info@raceireland.com or text/call the race number +353879814461 directly. Include as much detail as you can, especially your name and  number. You should also make your friends and family aware as soon as possible, including your next of kin. 

“Never scratch at night” is good advice from accomplished endurance riders. That is to say,always wait until morning to make any big decisions, things have a habit of looking a lot better in the daylight after a night’s sleep. 

Note that all riders are welcome to celebrate with us at the finish line however you get there, including those who cannot finish for any reason. Please note that if you scratch, you are responsible for your onward travel whatever the destination you chose. M2M volunteers will not come out to collect you or make any arrangements for you. That said, please let us know if you are at serious risk or in danger and we will do our best to help.

Other Info 

Bike boxes: 

Unsupported Athletes do not arrive with a hard shell bike box to race start as there will be no transportation for bike boxes to Malin head, It is always the case that unsupported riders traveling from abroad use a cardboard box and dispose of it at the point of entry. It is therefore the responsibility of the athlete to leave no trace.

Bagdrop: 

Unsupported athletes (ONLY) will be allowed a single small bag drop at the start line for fresh clothes at the finish line. (please have a name tag on your bag)

Accommodation: 

Starting line 

There is an amount of accommodation with the local network of B&Bs Guest houses in the area. Be mindful of the journey time to the start line. 
Parking at the startline is limited. 

Finish line 

There are an abundance of B&Bs, vacation homes, rooms for rent and Malin Head and, not far from the finish. It is strongly advised to have made contact and some sort of general arrangement in advance. However the race will have a large tent for athletes to sleep in at the finish line, so if this is your plan make sure to have a sleep system with you (sleeping bag etc). 

PARKING: Space at Malin head is small so Parking is not available at Malin head.

Emergency numbers 

The national emergency number (toll free from any phone) is 999 or 112

• Do all crew members have to wear a high-vis at all times?
• Yes all crew members must be wearing their high-vis vest at all times during the race.
• How many people must be in the support crew?
• There is no set number of crew members required. However, we do recommend that you have 3 or more members to allow for adequate rest of other members.
• How many support vehicles are required?
• A minimum of one vehicle is required and this vehicle must be in direct follow in the dark zone.
• Are there places for the crew to stop off for food?
• Along the route there are shops, delis, restaurants and cafes that teams can visit. We recommend that you research in advance what facilities are available in towns on the route.
• Are there any foods you you would recommend and don’t recommend giving to the athlete?
• More than likely, the athletes will know themselves what food they will/won’t want to eat on the course. From previous experience, we would recommend sticking to plain foods; chicken wraps/sandwiches, rice, pasta, instant noodles (get hot water flask filled in shops), fruit bars, rice pudding, snacks. In the case of food, it is recommended to carry a cold box if you are making food on the road for the athlete. This ensures food stays fresh and prevents the athlete from getting ill. It is beneficial to have a hot water flask in the vehicle and fill this up in every town- this allows you to prepare instant noodles, porridge etc.
• What is the best way to organise the support vehicle?

• Having everything organised and knowing where everything is in the vehicle is critical. From my experience as crew chief, it is very beneficial to have all clothes in boxes and labeled accordingly – this allows for efficient changeover of rain jackets, gloves, gilets etc. Having it to hand on the move is also very important
  

• Bike equipment
  it is advised to have a spare wheels as easy access in the vehicle at all times. This allows for the fast and efficient changing of a wheel in the case of a puncture.
• Can we change bikes 
  supported athletes and teams can change bikes as many times as they wish as long as its on the left hand side of the road and in off the road causing no traffic disruption. 
• How do we charge up lights and electrical items 
  it is advised you charge head torches, lights and other devices in the vehicle.
  
• Do we print off the crew directions or have it on a device i.e. iPad?
  We advise that you print off the directions and have a spare copy (or two) in case of an accident. From experience it is beneficial to use a highlighter/pen to cross out the directions as you go. In this case, you always know what direction you are at and it is very helpful for when/if someone else is taking over for navigation.
• Is it necessary to have a tripmeter in the vehicle?
  It is beneficial to have a tripmeter so you can use this as a back up (with the directions manual) in case you have issues with your GPS. You set the trip meter at the start and this allows you to check and double check that you are at the correct direction on the manual.
• Are there any safety precautions you would advise to follow in the vehicle?
  We advise that you have the emergency contacts (Jason Black Race Director  (00353879814461) & Laura Black Assistant Race Director  (00353874455111))  in a visible location on the dash of the car. This makes it easy to find these numbers if there are any issues

• Can we feed out Athlete out the moving car window.
  If you have practiced this manoeuvre then yes, and we would highly recommend you have practice done in advance, if you do attempt only do so when the road is clear ahead and you have adequate room to safely preform the act.

• What is Direct follow
  Following directly and close behind the athlete is deemed direct follow and fine and expectable only at night to keep the athlete safe but unexpectable during a busy road traffic day. 

• What is Leapfrogging
  Is when you Continuously keep moving ahead of the athlete from behind to a few kms up the road, this act is carried out during busy daytime hours to avid road rage and congestion.