Martyn runs 105.5 laps of track to raise funds for charity
The restrictions imposed on movement and gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic has given people the time to take up new challenges, be it a daily walk, a new-found – or rediscovered – love of reading, or trying to finally crack granny’s secret brown bread recipe.
For one young man living in the western side of the city, he decided to take things one step further – well, tens of thousands of steps to be exact – by running his first-ever marathon.
Gary Martyn from Corrib Park took to the running track at Westside last Sunday, where he completed 105 and a half laps of the track, a total of 42.2kms, the equivalent of the modern marathon distance.
Martyn, who turned 20 last month and has run in the colours of Galway City Harriers, had initially planned to run 50k in aid of charity, which he will run on Saturday week, May 16 – so in preparation for that event, he undertook a marathon training run last weekend, and is hoping to use both events to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society.
“I used to do a fair bit of long distance running a few years ago, but I haven’t done much lately. I decided to try and do a fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society, so I decided to challenge myself and set a target of a 50k run.
“I was doing bits of runs around the track in Westside, four miles one day, six miles another day, and just decided that as well as the 50k, I’d try a marathon and use it as a training run for the 50k.
“I did the run last Sunday, I started at noon and finished in a time of four hours 19 minutes and nine seconds, but I felt very fresh after it. I certainly didn’t push myself as I was using it as a training run – I hope to do the 50k in 4 hours 30 minutes.
“I’d be fairly fit, I play football with Corrib Rangers but running is my favourite sport. I went out the day after the marathon and did another five miles, just to loosen the muscles,” he says.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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