Offaly route announced for 32 County Marathons Challenge

Published: Fri 25 Jun 2010, 1:15 PM

July 16th will see runners from all over Offaly gather in Birr to participate in the 32 County Marathons Challenge in aid of Irish Autism Action. Local runners will be joining Mullingar-based duo Gerry Duffy and Ken Whitelaw as they take on one of 32 marathons in 32 consecutive days in the 32 counties of Ireland. The 32 County Marathons Challenge is proudly supported by Expert, Ireland's largest electrical retailer. Race participants will enjoy food and refreshments generously provided by Marks & Spencer. As the date draws nearer, Irish Autism Action are looking for more runners to take on this challenge, or to come along on the day and volunteer their time as marshals. The race will start at 10am at the main square in Birr town for a 13.1 mile clockwise loop out of the town and back to the square. Offaly runners will be joined by Offaly's own Michael Duignan who will act as a race starter on the day. Participants can take part in the full 26.2 mile marathon, a half marathon or even run 10k if they don't feel up to the challenge of a marathon. "Running a marathon or half marathon is a great personal achievement," said Willie Burns, local organiser for Offaly, who is supporting the Mullingar duo in their fund-raising efforts. "This is a chance to make a real difference in a child's life. Every €1000 raised will take a child off a waiting list for diagnosis while €600 will provide 10 Speech & Language sessions for children to help them to learn to communicate. It's a great chance to give back to your community and have fun while you're doing it." If you are interested in signing up for the 32 County Marathons Challenge in Offaly, please contact Willie Burns at 086-2568101 or visit www.32marathons.com for more information and training plans. You can support the 32 County Marathons Challenge in Offaly by text message by texting MARATHON followed by your county to 57802 (e.g. MARATHON Offaly). Text messages cost €2.00 per text including VAT. Network charges vary. All proceeds go to charity.