Local Edinburgh resident and Appin Sports boss, Damien O’Looney, is planning to run all the Edinburgh Marathon Festival (EMF) races this weekend in aid of Radio Forth Cash for Kids.
If he reaches his £10,000 fundraising target, his company, Appin Sports, will also donate £10,000 to the cause, bringing the total to £20,000.
Damien will run the 10k and 5k races on Saturday, followed by the Half Marathon and full Marathon on Sunday. The Edinburgh Marathon festival races are part of a three ultra challenge the sportwear boss has set himself this year.
“I’ve set myself a massive challenge for 2024: conquering three ultra marathons, to raise funds for Cash for Kids and The Resolution Foundation. I’ve already completed the 53-mile Highland Fling on 27th April.”
The Highland Fling route follows the first half of the West Highland Way from Milngavie, along the banks of Loch Lomond, and finishing in Tyndrum.
“This race didn’t exactly go to plan – I got cramp after 20 miles and ended up taking a tumble. My legs were jelly, so I couldn’t make it back to my feet. Fortunately, a passing hiker helped me up and I trudged the whole way to the finish line, in 9hrs and 12 minutes”.
Up this weekend are ALL the EMF races, what organisers call ‘doing a Hairy’, named after their mascot the Hairy Haggis. The 10k is at 9am and 5k at 11am on Saturday. Sunday has the Half Marathon at 8am, and the full Marathon at 10am. To add to the jeopardy, there is only 2hrs to run the half marathon and get back from the finish line in Musselburgh to the start of the marathon on Potterrow in Edinburgh.
“In October, I will tackle the G2E, a 92km ultra run from Glasgow to Edinburgh along the Union Canal via the Falkirk Wheel. I would love people to support my challenge by sponsoring me on the Radio Forth Charity Champions page.”
To sponsor Cash for Kids click here https://shorturl.at/hjmt5
