Camlough man to run New York marathon to give back to Southern Area Hospice

TEN years ago this October Pat Mc Ginn was seriously ill in Craigavon Area Hospital after having surgery to remove a cancerous growth and then taking sepsis.

It was then he pledged that if he got well he would do things that he had just thought about but always found the time not to do them. Things such running 10ks, Half Marathon's and Full Marathon’s .

‘Daisy Hill & Craigavon hospital medical and care staff saved my life. My recovery took some while, the cancer was gone but the fear of it, sepsis or infection returning was huge. I had an awful fear of crowds and infections. However my family and friends were good to me and understood. I had to work it out in my own time’

Pat started to go for walks, cycles and runs along the towpath in Newry, which quickly developed into an ambition to run the London marathon as a way of giving back to the Southern Area Hospice for all they had done for him.

‘I was out on the bike one day with my life long friend Laurence McCabe and we chatted about doing something for our 60th birthdays and we decided we would run the ‘London Marathon’ for the local Southern Area Hospice.

I have to be honest ‘running‘ the marathon was a lot easier said than done, but we finished it in a time of approximately 6.30 hrs.

I learnt from that first London Marathon that preparation is key no matter what standard of a runner one is’

From finishing his first marathon in London pat has since completed running competitions such as the Dublin and Jersey Marathons, the Great North Run and numerous Half-Marathons, all for Charities such as Cuan Mhuire (Sr Consilio’s) The Southern Are Hospice and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

‘I carry a lot of friends who I have lost in my life’s journey in my heart over those 26 miles. They and all those people who throw me a few bob in my collections for the Charities, help me get over the line.

I’m the blessed one with my life, health, family and friends.

“The running fraternity, the clubs and athletes, are a great bunch of people. There is no elitism amongst them at all, taking time to encourage and advise me. We all might have different motivations for our running challenges but there is a mutual respect and comradery, between all.

“The only person I have to beat in my running challenges is the person I see in the mirror, although I have to confess that I do now set myself realistic time targets which is another form of motivation”.

Pat will be running the New York City Marathon in November. He is raising funds for the Southern Area Hospice. He is also celebrating the fact that he will be running the marathon as a fully fledged ‘old age pensioner’, in his words an official member of the ‘grumpy old git club’

‘I am quietly training away, probably not enough but expect to see me on the Towpath to Poyntzpass and the carriageway to Warrenpoint over the next few weeks. One way or the other I’ll get over the Brooklyn Bridge to the finish line!!

Pat McGinn is fundraising for Southern Area Hospice Services so if you would like to give a donation the link to his JustGiving page can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/pat-mcginn1?utm_source=whatsapp