He is a 1986 Commonwealth Games medalist and has amassed hundreds of medals and trophies in different cycling disciplines throughout his career. In 2009 he entered his first endurance race the Race Around Ireland. From that moment Joe Barr became Team Joe Barr. He hasn’t looked back since. 2017 was a milestone season with the team winning two World Cup 500 mile races in Italy and the United States resulting in Joe being crowned 2017 World Endurance Champion, overall, 500-mile category, a first for Ireland.

In 2018 Joe returned to and won Race Around Ireland covering 2,200 kilometres in 104 hours and 3 mins, with just 3.5 hours sleep. He beat some of the world’s toughest competitors in what is considered one of the most intense races on the world circuit. 

In 2019 Joe won his age category in Race Across America the nonstop 3,070-mile race from the west coast of America to the east coast.  It is considered the toughest race in endurance. Joe is the only Irish rider to have finished RAAM twice.