Kerry man Brendán O’Neill is the middle of an incredible feat: running a marathon in 32 towns in 32 counties of Ireland, all over the course of 32 days.
He’s doing it to raise money for homeless charity Focus Ireland, and the fundraiser has already surpassed €8,000.
He’s set to make it to Waterford this Wednesday, 13 August, and you can cheer him on at SETU Arena.
He began his journey in Antrim on 23 July, and will finish up in Listowel in his home county on 23 August after he has run over 1,300 kilometres.
Brendán’s overall goal is to raise €32,000 for the charity, and has received strong support from individuals and businesses in communities he has passed through.
Brendán said: “This challenge is about more than running – it’s about showing solidarity with those who face the harsh reality of homelessness every day. I believe in the power of community, and I’m running to make a real difference”.
Brendán posts daily updates from his journey on his social media, telling his followers where he is and how he’s feeling. There have already been challenges on the journey, as he suffered stress fractures in his femur and navicular bone in his foot. But rather than let this be a setback, he decided to get on a bike to keep the fundraiser going.
He wrote online: “I’ve pushed through a lot these past 10 days, but the pain in my quad and femur became too much to ignore. It stopped being about discomfort, this was my body screaming at me. And for the first time, I really had to stop myself and ask, what now?
“So, I made a decision. I searched up bike shops in Sligo, walked in, and dropped the fastest money I’ve ever spent in my life to make sure this journey doesn’t stop here. For the remainder of this challenge, I’ll be cycling it out 100km a day to avoid doing any more damage to the leg as there is less impact… We’ve already raised over €8,000 and counting and I hope we raise so much more, because the people this cause is for, they don’t get to quit when things hurt. They have to find a way through, so I will too.”
Brendán has since been able to do some running as well as cycling, taking it easy on his feet to avoid getting any further injuries.
You check his Facebook page ‘Brendán O’Neill’ or Instagram account @brendanoneill_ for updates on his route.
Donations to Brendán’s ‘Run 32’ fundraiser can be made online, at: https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/BrendansRun32.
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