Celtic Rally 2025 Dragon Edition
12 Hour Photo Rally
6th September 2025, Wrexham, Wales.
This event is being organised by IBA Ireland.
It is the second in a series of rallies in the Celtic fringes of Europe, following on from the highly successful Celtic Rally - Tartan Edition in Scotland last year.
The Rallymaster for the 2025 Celtic Rally is once again, Chris McGaffin – Past Brit Butt, European Tour and Wolfhound Rallymaster, Celtic Rallymaster 2024 and multiple times successful Iron Butt Rally Finisher at Bronze, Silver and Gold levels.
Riders will receive the bonus book and GPX files via email, 48 hours prior to the start. Riders will receive details of the Rally hotel, which will be used for Finish and Awards Ceremony on payment of the entry fee.
Rally Start
Wrexham area - 0700 hrs 6th September 2025
Rally Finish
A hotel in Wrexham - 1900 hrs 6th September 2025
Once again, we are keeping this event as simple as possible – both for Rider and the Organisers.
You can book a room at the finish hotel or one nearby if you wish, but it will be your responsibility to do so. You can stay anywhere you want on the previous evening (even at home), the only stipulation is that you must be at the disclosed start location at 0700 hrs on the 6th September 2025. Food and drink will be up to you. There will be no rally swag either.
Scoring will be conducted face to face. Simply hand in your score sheet and show us your photos – either on a Mobile phone or Digital camera.
Rally is restricted to 30 riders. Rally entry fee is £35. (the £5 increase this year due to overheads increase – otherwise we lose money!).
To enter, send an email with “Celtic Rally 2025” in the subject line and state your name, physical mailing address and contact phone number to Graemeironbuttireland at gmail.com.
If your application is successful, you will receive a Paypal Invoice, to be paid within 7 days.
Remember, this event is restricted to 30 riders. Once we hit 30, that’s it.
If you want to enter don’t delay.
Celtic Rally Rules.
-
The Motorcycle and Rider must be road legal.
-
The rally is intended to be a test of rider, machine and your route planning powers. We don’t care what machine you start or finish on. If you break down, borrow another bike by all means, but the entire ride must be conducted bt Motorcycle .
-
Failure to arrive at the start or finish on time will result in a “did not finish” (DNF) result.
-
Auxiliary fuel systems are not necessary. However, you may carry extra fuel if you wish. If you choose to carry extra fuel, you are responsible for your own safety. The organisers will not examine any auxiliary fuel system or carrying container on your bike.
-
Riders are expected to act in a sportsmanlike fashion at all times.
-
Any attempt at cheating will result in instant disqualification and a lifetime ban for future events.
-
Once the rally starts, riders must not receive assistance from anyone not riding in the rally. This includes attempting to get others to take photos on your behalf. This rule does not prevent you from asking directions from a stranger once you are in the vicinity of a bonus location, or another person using your camera to take a photo of you.
-
Riders are responsible for their own health and safety during the event. This includes taking adequate rest periods and ensuring you are adequately fed and hydrated.
-
In order to claim points for a location, a rider must actually ride to the location. In addition, riders must follow any specific instructions for that location.
-
Riders must start the rally from the stated start location at the specified time. If you are not at the start position within 20 minutes of the specified time, you will not be permitted to start the rally.
-
A score sheet will be provided to each rider. An entry must appear on this sheet for each and every bonus you are claiming and must be presented at the scoring table. Any bonuses not present on your scoring sheet AND your camera device will not be awarded. If no score sheet is presented at the finish, you will be classed as a “did not finish” (DNF).
-
Riders will be issued with a GPX file and Bonus Book by email on the 4th of September 2025 at 0700 hours. This will be sent to the email address supplied. You must notify us as soon as possible thereafter if you have not received it.
-
You are responsible for ensuring that you are proficient in the use, transfer of and processing of the supplied GPX files. You should be satisfied that you can work with GPX files before entering this event. No refunds will be given because of data processing issue on your part.
-
Any riders undertaking the Rally together are required to present for scoring together.
-
You are responsible for ensuring your submitted photos comply with the requirements of that particular location. Be disappointed of course, but do not be offended if your attempt to claim a bonus location is turned down. The reason for doing so will be explained. The Rallymaster’s decision is final, and he won’t give a %@+* if you don’t agree.
FAQs
Is this a Race?
No. The rally can be very competitive among the leading players but they are definitely not races. Races depend on the use of high speed and daring; IBA rallies depend on planning .
The Rally can be best thought of as an exercise in solving the well-known "Travelling Salesman Problem" as solved by multi-drop van drivers every working day. You are given a selection of possible locations to visit and photograph, scattered right across the rally's territory and you must choose which to visit, in which order, building a points score within the Effective Riding Time of the rally.
What’s this about minimum points?
A minimum points value will be set to ensure that riders must reach a certain level of performance to be classed as a finisher. This is to protect the value of being classed a finisher of our event – you have to reach a certain level of performance, not just roll out at the start and roll back again with 100 miles on the clock and 50 points in the bag. The points level will be determined by the rallymaster and published in the bonus book.
I can't ride all day long!
You don't need to. In a 12 hour rally the effective riding time is quite a bit less than 12 hours: you need to stop for fuel, for food and drink, to visit bonus locations and to complete the paperwork within the 12 hours so you might be actually riding for ten or eleven hours, in some cases even less.
Why should I enter this rally?
First and foremost because it’s fun.
Secondly because it will help you develop your skills at riding, route planning, navigation and body management.
Thirdly you'll ride to places you'd never otherwise visit..
Finally you'll meet like-minded souls and enjoy telling about the "ones that got away".
Go on, you know you want to ...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------