Chris Young from Cleator Moor is running 78 marathons this year in support of Gary Mckee and his 365 Marathon Challenge.
We caught up with Chris last week to talk about how he is doing and why he decided to take part:
Gary McKee is supporting Hospice at Home West Cumbria and Macmillan Cancer Support by running 365 marathons in 365 days. How do you know Gary/ how long have you known him?
I met Gary at work about four years ago before getting to know him better through his 110 marathons in 110 days challenge when I ran a marathon sponsored by my family.
What made you choose to get involved in this fundraiser?
I decided to do this fundraiser after my mother was diagnosed with cancer on the last day of Gary’s challenge last year. I also wanted to support Gary and raise money for two worthy charities, as this is also a passion of mine.
What made you decide to take part in 78 marathons?
At the beginning of the year, I had set my sights on 52 marathons. However, I have since been bitten by both the running and fundraising bug and have increased my target to 78 marathons. This is a 50 percent increase from my previous target!
Are you normally a runner/what do you do for your fitness?
I had never done a road run before February last year, but I was inspired by Gary’s activities. Once I had run and participated, I never looked back. However, I was fit before that as I graduated from the Wainwrights and was a keen rugby union player.
What has been the biggest challenge in the marathons so far?
The hardest part of the challenge personally has been recovering from a stress fracture I sustained in February. The loss of my fitness, the weight gain, and the significant deterioration in my mental state as a result of the injury were the most difficult tasks I have faced so far! It took me about four months to be able to complete a full marathon again. I am just grateful to be back in a place where I can support you.
Is it more difficult than you expected?
Running a marathon is difficult (as you can imagine). When you realise what you are doing it for and who you are trying to help, your legs hurt a little less.
On behalf of everyone at Hospice at Home West Cumbria we would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Chris for taking on this challenge to support our charity. Every penny raised will stay in west Cumbria and help us care for more patients and their carers and families who need our vital services.
