ECOTRAIL WICKLOW TRAIL RUNNING FESTIVAL GETS SUPPORT FROM FAILTE IRELAND FOR 2026

EcoTrail Wicklow, Ireland's largest trail running festival, returns next month with the 2026 edition of the event, taking place from Thursday 24th to Saturday 26th September.

Supported by Fáilte Ireland, the festival continues to develop year on year while raising awareness of EcoTrail Wicklow in Ireland and internationally, helping to attract more visitors and participants to County Wicklow. As the country's largest trail running festival, the event continues to showcase Wicklow's spectacular landscapes and strengthen its reputation as a premier outdoor adventure destination.

The festival culminates on Saturday 26th September, when runners from across Ireland and around the world will gather on Bray Seafront. Participants can choose from five distances – 10km, 19km, 30km, 47km and 80km – with routes taking in some of Wicklow's most iconic landscapes, including Bray Head, the Little and Great Sugar Loaf, Powerscourt Waterfall, the Wicklow Way, Lough Tay and the Vartry Reservoir.

Building on record growth in recent years, EcoTrail Wicklow is expected to welcome more than 2,000 participants from all 32 counties of Ireland and over 55 countries. Alongside their families, friends and supporters, the festival generates valuabletourism for County Wicklow, encouraging visitors to stay longer, support local businesses and experience the county's outstanding natural attractions.

 Sliabh Wells, Managing Director of Bear Group, said:

"Since the very first edition, our ambition has been to build a world-class trail running festival that any runner can be part of, whether that's a first 10km on the trails or the full 80km through the Wicklow Mountains.With the support of Fáilte Ireland and our other festival partners, we can keep raising the standard of the event experience, bring more visitors to Wicklow, and go from strength to strength for our runners, their supporters, and the local businesses and communities who make race weekend what it is."

Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals, Festivals at Fáilte Ireland, said:

"EcoTrail Wicklow Festival plays a valuable role in showcasing Ireland's outstanding outdoor activity offering to both participants and their supporters. Events like this help enhance a destination's tourism appeal and encourage visitors to explore beyond the traditional hotspots. By supporting EcoTrail Wicklow Festival we're helping to drive footfall for local businesses in Wicklow and deliver meaningful social and economic benefits for the local community."

"We're delighted to have the support of Fáilte Ireland for this year's festival. Their backing is a real endorsement of what EcoTrail Wicklow has become and, more importantly, of what it can grow into. Since the very first edition of EcoTrail Wicklow, our ambition has been to build a world-class trail running festival that any runner can be part of, whether that's a first 10km on the trails or the full 80km through the Wicklow Mountains.

With Fáilte Ireland behind us, the support of Fáilte Ireland and our other festival partners, we can keep raising the standard of the event experience, bring more visitors to Wicklow, and go from strength to strength for our runners, their supporters, and the local businesses and communities who make race weekend what it is."

EcoTrail Wicklow continues to play an important role in positioning County Wicklow as one of Ireland's leading destinations for outdoor recreation, inspiring more people to discover the landscapes, trails and communities that make the Garden of Ireland so special.

To register for EcoTrail Wicklow or to find out more please visit https://wicklow.ecotrail.com/en