Irishman runs 100 marathons in 100 days for charity

AN IRISHMAN has completed a unique challenge of running 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days. 

Armagh native Stevey McGeown set about his task alongside Larry Maguire in May in a bid to raise funds for The Laura Maguire Foundation.

The charity was set up in 2013 by Larry in memory of his younger sister, who died at the age of seven back in 1979, and in honour of his parents for how they dealt with the loss.

Promoting self awareness, a greater understanding of human potential and a holistic approach to healing and maintaining of wellbeing in children are at the forefront of the foundation’s aims.

Although Larry succumbed to injury during the 100-day task, he still managed to participate in over 60 marathons himself, but 37-year-old Stevey was able to complete the mission thanks to his seemingly unbreakable state of mind.

He told The Irish Post: “There’s three key things that determine your emotional state of mind – I’ve been teaching this stuff for about seven or eight years – and they determine how you feel.

“The first one is your posture. If you think about someone who is depressed, for example, their posture is typically head down, shallow breathing and a frown. So you need the opposite – a good positive posture to start with.

“The second thing is language, which can also really shape your state of mind. When people ask you things like ‘how are you managing with injuries?’ you simply have to say you don’t have any. It’s about putting that positive power in your mind, you can’t let negativity creep in.

“The third thing is to keep your focus on your goals. You might have 50 runs left to do and it’s raining or it’s cold that morning, but you can’t focus on that, you have to focus on the fact that you’ve got 50 left to do.”

 

Five pair of trainers and 2,600 miles since the pair started their challenge on May 22 in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Larry and Stevey crossed the finish line in Gosford Park, Armagh, on Saturday afternoon, with around 600 locals turning out to greet them at the finish line.

Despite a torrid opening week and a half, Bradford-born Stevey was able to overcome the physical battle of running 26 miles a day, and from there the challenge became a mental one. Once it got to that stage, he knew he wouldn’t be beaten.

“You get fitter and stronger everyday, but the first 10 days was the toughest,” he said. “After that, your body starts to adjust and gets used to it, so it starts to get a bit easier.

“The first 10 days it feels like someone has beaten you up every day, but once you get through that initial pain you don’t feel things as much.”

Despite the remarkable personal achievement, Stevey is keen to stress the real motive for completing his gruelling schedule – to promote emotional and physical health in children via his friend’s foundation.

“That’s the main reason we done this,” he said. “Me and Larry wanted to do something significant. I’ve got kids myself now in and around that age (seven), and to think of the devastation that Larry’s parents and the family must have went through, it’s hard to imagine.

“People talk about the pain you go through when running a marathon a day, but there’s other people who go through greater pain every day of their life.

“We’re able to do something to help other children out there that are in pain. If we can help ease their pain or their family’s pain in some way, it’s a great thing. We’re proud to say that we have been able to help people along the way and we’ll continue to do so.”

 

The large majority of their runs took place on the same route via Phoenix Park in Dublin, but every Saturday a different county in Ireland became a part of the challenge, including Cork, Mayo and Donegal. For now, though, it’s back to reality for Stevey, but he hasn’t ruled out taking up another endurance task in future.

He said: “I’ve got a lot of things to catch up on over the next three months, but you never know. If somebody came to me with an idea and there was good reason behind it, then maybe. But for now, I’ve got a few things to take care of that I haven’t been able to do for the past few months.”

Find out more about The Laura Maguire Foundation here and donate to the cause here.