Ireland will be represented by a five-person men's team at the World 24-Hour Championships in Quebec, Canada on 28-29 July. The 24-Hour World Challenge is the longest running event to be officially recognised as a global championships. Included on the Irish team is Tony Mangan (captain), Eoin Keith, Eddie Gallen, Richard Donovan and Dara O'Kearney. Twenty-six nations will be represented at the race where no fewer than 45 of the competitors have run in excess of 230km in one day. Despite the most intense competition ever, the Irish are hoping for a position among the top eight teams: the cumulative distance of the top three competitors for each nation determines finishing positions. Tony Mangan, team captain, set a world indoor record for 48 hours earlier this year when he ran 426.178km, or the equivalent of ten back-to-back marathons within a two day period.