Having being selected to represent Co Westmeath in the Spar Spartan Challenge Lisa Kiernan from Mullingar completed the National Lottery Dublin Marathon on the Hallowe’en Bank Holiday Monday in five hours and 42 minutes..
Lisa’s marathon journey began back in July when she was selected by public vote to represent Westmeath and join the 26 strong team of Spartans who completed all four Dublin Marathon race series events; the five mile, 10 mile, half marathon and full marathon. Lisa trained for over four months under the guidance of fitness guru Karl Henry and nutrition expert Paula Mee who spearheaded the campaign.
Lisa completed the five mile race in 53min, the 10 mile race in one hour 49min, and the half marathon in two hours 18 minutes in preparation for the full 26 mile Dublin Marathon.
The highs and lows of her marathon experience have been recorded in a personal blog on www.spartanchallenge.ie where members of the public can review Lisa’s regime and satellite mapped training runs. Those interested in taking up jogging will benefit from motivational, nutrition, and exercise tips from Karl and Paula.
The 2011 Spar Spartan Challenge expanded from four Spartans in 2010 to a 26-strong team this year in what has been deemed a hugely successful campaign highlighting the benefits of a healthy and actively lifestyle.
Karl Henry, fitness expert and spokesperson for the campaign, said: “Lisa’s progress from marathon novice to seasoned runner was down to an immense amount of hard work over the past four months. Running a marathon is not an undertaking to be taken lightly and I have no doubt that this won’t be the last time she pins on a race number.”
Commenting on the achievements of the Spar Spartan Challenge team, Suzanne Weldon, Spar marketing and communications director: “On behalf of everyone at Spar I would like to congratulate Lisa on completing the Spar Spartan Challenge and completing the marathon on Monday in some fairly mixed weather conditions.
“This year’s Spar Spartan Challenge was a huge challenge and success for us at Spar reaching out to 26 marathon novices from all over the country helping them make a positive change in their lives and fulfilling what for many is a lifelong goal.
“At Spar we’ve been successfully promoting leisure running in Ireland over the past number of years through our support for events including the Dublin Marathon, Spar Great Ireland Run, and the Join Spar and Ray for 5km initiative last spring. For us it’s a really meaningful approach to sponsorship as people aim to get out and get healthy during these tough economic times. ”
Spar also aimed to drive awareness and support for its charity of the year the 3Ts - Turning the Tide of Suicide. The 3Ts aims to heighten awareness of the problem of suicide in Ireland and to raise funds to help lower suicide rates through a dedicated helpline 1 Life (free phone 1-800-24-7-100 ), research, educational support, and intervention. The 1Life service is provided through a partnership involving the 3Ts and Console.
