Having represented Ireland at the elite World Road Championships, and set the Everesting world record after hanging up his racing wheels, Ronan McLaughlin has now set his sights on a 3,000km route circumnavigating Ireland.
The former top racer turned cycling journalist has set out today – Tuesday, June 10th – and will ride alone before joining the route of the TransAtlanticWay race, which gets underway on Thursday.
Though McLaughlin has set about very tough endurance events before, to continue challenging himself after his racing career, this one is a little different for the 38-year-old from Donegal.
He is circumnavigating Ireland by bike, solo and unsupported, to raise £30,400 for food allergy research; something he knows all about as his 6-year-old daughter, Sophia, lives with multiple and severe food allergies.
Always a popular figure in Irish cycling, McLaughlin had already raised over £7,000 – from almost 200 donors – at the time of writing on Tuesday. You can donate to the fund by following this link.
“Food allergies are not a choice. They’re a serious, often life-threatening condition that shapes every aspect of daily life,” said McLaughlin. “This ride is about more than distance. It’s about raising awareness, challenging misconceptions, and showing how urgent the need is for better support, clearer labelling, and more research.”
McLaughlin aims to raise £10 for every kilometre of his 3,040km route and the money will go to the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation. It is the UK’s only charity dedicated to funding medical research into allergic disease.
“Their mission goes beyond awareness, working to change laws and policies, educate society, and fund pioneering research to identify the causes of allergy and ultimately prevent and eradicate it,” said McLaughlin, from Donegal and living in Derry.
“The foundation gives a voice to the millions affected, especially children like my daughter, and is pushing for a world where living with food allergies no longer means living in fear.”
The foundation was launched in 2019 by Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse after their daughter Natasha tragically died from an allergic reaction to sesame. They work in the area of research, training, and awareness around food allergies.
Just £10 could provide a primary school with food allergy education resources, while £25 could train 50 teachers to better support allergic children. £100 covers the cost of a single child’s life-saving dose of treatment, and £1,500 funds six months of participation in the groundbreaking Natasha Clinical Trial.
McLaughlin will complete the entire ride while avoiding all foods that contain or may contain peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, lentils, and eggs. Having departed Derry today he went northwards, towards Ballycastle.
He will then head for the eastern coast first through Belfast, Dublin, and on to Cork where he will join the 2,400 km TransAtlantic Way bikepacking event as the southern, western and north western coastal stages of his ride.
