Running Ulysses: landmark first for Bloomsday Celebration: the 100km Royal Canal Odyssey
James Joyce never ran to Mullingar but this June, a group of Blackrock AC runners will make the journey, tracing a 100km path from the James Joyce Tower in Sandycove to the midlands town that left its mark on the man and his work.
Part literary pilgrimage, part endurance challenge, the Royal Canal Odyssey is a new grassroots initiative that re-imagines Bloomsday as a living, moving tribute.
It’s the first time such a journey has been attempted in Joyce’s name, connecting Dublin and Mullingar along a route inspired by Ulysses.
The event will take place on Saturday June 14, 2025, starting at 6am at the James Joyce Tower in Sandycove, the novel’s opening setting.
Runners will follow the coastline through Blackrock and Sandymount to Spencer Dock, the start of the Royal Canal.
They will then make a short detour through central Dublin, echoing Leopold Bloom’s path on June 16, 1904, through Monto, James Joyce Street and North Great George’s Street, nodding to the author’s alma maters Belvedere College and O’Connell School, before joining the Royal Canal Way at Binn’s Bridge, a straight line past Cross Guns Bridge and Glasnevin cemetery to Mullingar, where the author’s father once worked, and where Joyce spent a formative time as a young man.
The initiative was officially launched on Wednesday April 16 last at the James Joyce Tower and Museum, hosted by curator, Alice Ryan, with invited guests an cathaoirleach Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cllr Jim O’Leary, and MEP Barry Andrews.
The organisers hope the Royal Canal Odyssey will grow into an annual Bloomsday tradition, celebrating Irish literature and the greenways that now connect the country in ways the canals once did.
The Royal Canal Greenway is a great example of ongoing efforts across Ireland to improve access to nature, transforming how we appreciate our shared spaces.
Cllr O’Leary said: “I think this is a wonderful event. The idea of running 100 kilometres from James Joyce Tower to Mullingar along the Royal Canal as part of Bloomsday is a fantastic idea.”
The Royal Canal Odyssey is not a commercial pursuit; rather an independent movement that has captured the imagination of a growing community. What began as a shared pursuit among friends has evolved into a meaningful expression of endurance, friendship and a shared spirit of adventure.
Travelling the route in their own time, carrying what they need and going at their own pace, some will complete the full 100km, while others are opting for various distances from 5km upwards with the goal of arriving in Mullingar around 5pm.
“James Joyce Tower and Museum are delighted to support the Royal Canal Odyssey, a wonderful example of community spirit and connection, reimagined for the present day, yet rooted in the spirit of Bloomsday,” said Alice Ryan, curator.
“Joyce walked, wandered, and wondered, and this event captures all of that.”