Solidarity with cystic fibrosis group spurs runner to raise €70,000

A CO Meath man is more than halfway through his ambition to run the Dublin city marathon course – every day this week. Gerard Fay (38), from Bettystown, is running the 26.2 mile marathon course every day in preparation for the official race, which takes place on Monday.

After the race, he plans to hop on a plane and take part in the New York City marathon on the following Sunday.

In fact, Fay has run 56 marathons and Monday will be his 12th annual Dublin city marathon, not counting practice runs.

His record includes completing a 24-hour continuous walk around the back pitch at the Ó Raghallaigh GAA club in Drogheda, in early August.

He also did the Longford marathon in late August, the Great North Run on September 20th, the Dublin Half Marathon on September 27th as well, of course, as the Dublin city marathon.

Taking a break from running the Dublin marathon course this week, Fay told The Irish Times he also manages to hold down a full-time job in finance.

This may explain why he has so far been able to raise more than €70,000 for his chosen charity, the Cystic Fibrosis Association.

“It is nothing special. I get up early at about 6.30am and do my stretches before the run, but I don’t go to a gym or anything, the course is my training,” he said. “A lot of this is thickheadedness,” he said, explaining that he lost three cousins to cystic fibrosis in recent years.

He said his running is driven by the desire to raise money to help others with the condition.

“I probably would have given up years ago if it was not for that. The determination that nobody should suffer as someone with cystic fibrosis does, is what drives me on. What I would suffer on running is nothing compared to what he or she might go through.” His target for the current phase of fundraising is €30,000, a feat that would bring his total fundraising to more than €100,000. So far he has raised more than €10,000 of this and is seeking additional sponsorship through the website www.mycharity.ie

The website undertakes to donate the money directly to the Cystic Fibrosis Association.

After the New York marathon, Fay expects things will calm down and by January he will be running about five hours a week. “The danger is that the weight will go back on if I stop,” he laughed. “I have put on three pounds since starting the Dublin course.”

He said the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland is totally dependent on fundraising and voluntary donations.

Among other things, it provides assistance, financial or otherwise, to persons with cystic fibrosis and their families.