A local man will raise funds for six of his favourite charities when he participates in the North Pole Marathon next year.
Ronan Scully will raise vital cash for GOAL, the Galway Hospice, Alan Kerins Projects, Big Brother Big Sister Ireland, L’Arche and the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind when he takes part in the fundraiser which takes place in April.
Mr Scully, a regional representaive with the humanitarian charity GOAL in the west of Ireland and the midlands, is looking forward to the unique event which is described as “the world’s coolest marathon”.
His flights and race entry have been sponsored by the race organiser and Irish ultra marathon runner Ritchie Donovan as a donation to Ronan’s event, which means all the monies raised will go directly towards the charities
“2011 is shaping up to be a year I’ll definitely remember,” he says. “The race will be a challenge but it’s something I am keen to do to support some of my favorite charities. Although the race isn’t until April I’m already training hard which means I may not be able to indulge as much as I normally would over the New Year.”
Entrants in the North Pole Marathon are asked to train as if it were a normal marathon, he says.
“However, this is by no means normal. The 26.2 mile race is the only certified marathon run on the ocean, with competitors running entirely on the frozen ice that overlays the Arctic Ocean. As if running on ice wasn’t enough to contend with, temperatures are expected to be between - 20°C and -30°C.
Mr Scully has pledged to raise “considerable” funds for his chosen charities. He is appealing to people to fill in sponsorship cards to support his marathon run, to make donations online at his charity page at www.mycharity.ie/event/ronan_scullys_northpole_marathon_charity_run_2011/ or donate directly to any of the charities mentioned.
For further information about the various charities or on the North Pole Marathon log onto Ronan Scully Facebook page or to any of the following web addresses:
North Pole Marathon www.npmarathon.com
GOAL (Ronan Scully ) www.goal.ie
Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (Contact Frank Downes ) www.guidedogs.ie
L’Arche ( Fr Niall Ahern ) www.larche.ie
Big Brother Big Sister ( Paul Tannian ) www.bbbsireland.ie
Galway Hospice (Michael Craig ) www.galwayhospice.ie
Alan Kerins Projects
( Alan Kerins ) www.alankerinsprojects.org
