Organisers

Audax Ireland is a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation that coordinates long-distance cycling events across the island of Ireland. Every event on the calendar, from a local 200 km BRM to the largest multi-day rides, is organised by volunteers who give their time to keep the sport running. For an introduction to the sport itself, see the What is Audax? page.

A Volunteer Organisation

Audax Ireland has no paid staff. The committee, event organisers, and support volunteers all contribute their time freely. This volunteer ethos is central to the culture of randonneuring. The sport is run by riders, for riders. Membership fees and event entry costs are kept low because there are no salaries or commercial overheads to cover.

The organisation is affiliated with Audax Club Parisien (ACP), the international governing body for randonneuring, and operates under ACP rules for homologated events. This affiliation means that BRM results from Irish events are recognised internationally and count toward ACP awards like Super Randonneur and ACP Randonneur 5000.

How Events Are Organised

Each event on the Audax Ireland calendar is run by an individual organiser or a small team of volunteers. The organiser is responsible for:

Route design: planning the route, selecting control points, and ensuring the distance and profile are appropriate for the event category
Registration and brevet cards: managing rider sign-ups, preparing brevet cards, and handling entry fees
Control points: setting up proof of passage at each control, whether that is a staffed checkpoint, a shop receipt, an info control, or a WhatsApp selfie group
On-the-day logistics: briefing riders at the start, monitoring progress, and handling any issues that arise during the event
Results and homologation: collecting completed brevet cards, verifying results, and submitting them to Audax Ireland for homologation with ACP

For longer events (600 km and above), organisers often coordinate additional support such as food stops, bag drops, and emergency contact arrangements. Even so, the scale of effort is remarkable given that it is all done voluntarily.

Permanent Route Organisers

Permanent routes are maintained by individual organisers who design the route, register it with Audax Ireland, and then manage riders who want to ride it throughout the year. When you contact a Permanent organiser to arrange a ride, they provide you with a brevet card and instructions for the route.

Permanent organisers are the unsung heroes of Irish Audax. They keep routes available year-round, which is essential for riders working toward RRTY and 4 Provinces during the quieter winter months when the calendar has few events.

Getting Involved

Audax Ireland is always looking for volunteers. Whether you want to help at an existing event or organise your own, there are several ways to contribute:

Volunteer at an event: help with sign-on, staff a control point, or assist with logistics. This is the easiest way to get started and a great way to see how events work from the other side.
Organise an event: if you have a route you love and want to share it with other riders, you can propose it as a new event. Audax Ireland provides guidance and support for new organisers, and experienced organisers are happy to mentor newcomers.
Set up a Permanent: creating a Permanent route is a lower-commitment way to contribute. You design a route, register it with Audax Ireland, and then manage individual riders who want to ride it throughout the year.
Join the committee: Audax Ireland's committee handles the administrative side of the organisation, from ACP liaison to calendar coordination. Committee positions are filled by volunteers and are open to any member.

Getting involved as a volunteer or organiser is one of the best ways to deepen your connection to the randonneuring community. Many of the strongest friendships in the sport are built through the shared experience of putting on events together.

From the road: If you are thinking about organising your first event, start by volunteering at a few existing ones. Seeing how experienced organisers handle sign-on, controls, and results gives you a practical template to follow.

Links and Resources

To learn more about Audax Ireland, find upcoming events, or get in touch about volunteering:

Audax Ireland official website for the event calendar, results, permanent routes, and membership information
Audax Ireland on Facebook for event announcements, ride reports, and community discussion
Audax Ireland on Twitter / X for news and updates