Alice McWilliam celebrates overall victory at the end of the 2025 event - © Lorraine O’Sullivan
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Rás na mBan race organisers have announced the dates for the 20th edition of the Irish stage race in 2026.
Ireland’s top international stage race will maintain its usual early Autumn tradition, with the five-day event taking place during the first week of September, ahead of both the World and European Road Championships.
Rás na mBan 2026 will start on Wednesday 2nd of September and run through to Sunday 6th of September. The race will once again use Kilkenny as Race Headquarters for the week, with the September dates ideal for teams travelling from abroad with the peak tourism season behind us.
The 2025 edition of the event featured riders from 14 different countries representing 18 teams and clubs as riders travelled from across the continent and as far away as the USA, Australia and New Zealand to do battle on the roads of Kilkenny, Laois, and Wexford.
In announcing the 2026 race dates Race Director Valerie Considine said, “We take immense pride in the calibre of teams and riders who have travelled to compete in Rás na mBan over the years, and we’re thrilled to see new teams already expressing interest in the 2026 edition.
“The feedback from past participants has been overwhelmingly positive, which is something we value greatly. With 2026 marking the 20th edition of the race, we’re excited to celebrate two decades of world-class international stage racing here in Ireland.
“Continuity and consistency remain key objectives for us in staging Rás na mBan, and we believe that retaining similar dates and announcing early will help teams plan their season programmes with confidence.”
HIGHLIGHTS ON THE FINAL STAGE OF THE 2025 RACE