Name: Eddie Dillon

Nationality: Irish 

Meet the Crew

The crew with the exception of Derek have either crewed for me before or crewed with others in other events and all have great experience in ultra-endurance cycling either by cycling, crewing and organising.

Johnny Dillon:

My brother and has been with me since the start in the Irish Ultra Challenge in 2017, he is also my main night time driver and the wise man on the crew who all go to for advice as he is loaded with experience.

Joe McGuiness:

Joe has been with me from the start, he crewed for me on the Irish Ultra challenge and drove the whole team to get me home, he was the crew chief, he really was when someone thought they could stop for a shower?
I remember the day I said I’d love to do the Irish ultra challenge, Joe came out and said I’ll do it with you without any hesitation and was the drive in us achieving what we intended to do which was simply finish in time. He was a constant in me ticking all the boxes along the way and his positive attitude drove me on, I owe this guy so much I could never repay him in this life. I am always humbled by this man.

Paul Newman:

I met Paul through Audax Ireland, loves all things cycling and has become a trusted person on the crew. This time he is the crew chief, not having a background in sport, I have learned to listen and ask Paul for his advice, sometimes I don’t want to hear it but it annoyingly is always right, I’ll never let him know but I think he laughs knowing that.

Again loads of experience in ultra endurance cycling, so he knows what I can do and when to hold on to the reins. Great organiser, positive thinker to motivate the team.

Paul would have done PBP, LEL and many other Audax ultra long distance events and is a respected person in the Audax community.

This is another guy I owe so much and I could never repay in this life.

Derek Kehoe:

Have known Derek for years and we would have played a lot of golf together, so he knows the way I think and the psychological warfare I will inflict to win, but he doesn't know I do it to make him a better golfer and keep his mind active. This is Derek’s first time and will be driving at night as I know he has the skills to be next to Johnny with nerves of steel when following me on the descents. His years of driving through Dublin city will have created a driver with nerves of steel, never ever mention the 6 up with 6 holes to go game he played against me!

Martin Dillon:

Martin my brother and like Johnny has been with me since the start. Another person I rely on for advice and a valued opinion, is always a great team player and team motivator, superb organising skills and great foresight into the road ahead.

Aiden Caulfield:

Has completed two Paris Brest Paris events, is an event organiser for Audax Ireland and has assisted in many Audax Ireland events, will be the team mechanic also.

Mick Fallon:

Has completed Paris Brest Paris, is an ex-racer, regularly assists on Audax Ireland events and has crewed on Mizen to Malin, will be the team mechanic also.

Meet the Rider

My Cycling started about 8-9 years ago just to keep fit then it moved to sportives like the Meath heritage 160. I found it easy so then I went off to the Wicklow 200 after the second time I found it easy, the first time I was 118+ kg, I realised then I was able to do this with ease so I was looking online at doing bigger events and I came across the Race Around Ireland videos and Audax videos, I remember very clearly to this day thinking these guys are completely bonkers and thought how is this possible, I spent days looking into this online, I was hooked, for a long time without realising it I was saying in front of the computer many swear words, I remember watching the Joe Barr videos thinking Holy £$%%, then seen adventure races like the Transatlantic way owned by Adrian O'Sullivan, who rode The Joe Barr 500 in 2019. I did that one and remember thinking what an evil person it would have been to create this ride, but a year on I can’t wait to go do it again it was an epic adventure and learned a lot.

The first ultra race event I wanted to do was the Ultra Challenge but I knew I needed to build up the distance so I joined the Audax Ireland events starting with a few door to door events getting me from 300 to 1000 in a few months, the rest is history but every now and then I have to remind myself I was that 36 year old man barely able to walk up a few flight of stairs without getting out of breath because I used to smoke 30-40 a day and did very little exercise to where I am now, to this day I still find it hard to believe I am where I am and the people who took me there I owe so much gratitude to that I know in this life I will never be able to repay. I am dedicating this race to My Gillian, my two daughters and my grandson, all the families of the crew that have supported me, my brothers Martin, Johnny, Liam and Michael, cousin Ian Hutchinson and Uncle Tony, Joe McGuiness, Liam kenny, Paul Newman, Danny McHugh, Derek Kehoe, Aiden Caulfield, Mick Fallon, Dominic Tierney, Aiden Fitton, the staff and management of One Escape Gym in Smithfield Dublin and all the boys & girls in Audax Ireland. This one's for you guys.

Why I go the distance

First and foremost this ultra sport of cycling fascinates me, be it any ultra sport, but I can’t run or swim well, so here I am. How far can we go? This sport seems to break all barriers of what is known.

As time passes the numbers get better and better, how far and fast can it go? What inspires me to go further is simply the enjoyment of being able to do what I do, when I do ultra events, I am racing myself.There is nobody else in the ring with me, it’s my fight against myself. If it’s a podium finish, it’s a bonus but my plan is always to do what I can do with all that mother nature gave me to engage this life.

I believe the human race is capable of so much more than we think and ultra sport, be it running, swimming or cycling proves it.

I have seen myself put so many commonly known ideas in the bin as they became untrue for me, I think ultra sport unfolds what the human body and mind are capable of and if we continue to stop testing our ability as humans we are digging our own grave, we must strive to become more resilient so the next generation is better than what is now, the soft approach doesn’t work, it certainly has no place for me surviving in ultra cycling, I must get mean and angry with myself to get to the next line as there may be no tomorrow, so I gotta fight for it.

Enjoy the race you amazing humans, if you feel like donating to support an elite ultra-athlete go to my website http://eddiejdillon.com and you can donate by PayPal or support me on Patreon.