Taking on 10 marathons in 10 days for the Brathay Trust
Last August, I received the incredible news that I had been accepted to take part in the Brathay Trust’s 10in10 team for the second time. The 10in10 is an incredibly demanding challenge which tasks participants with running 10 marathons across 10 consecutive days throughout the marathon course in the picturesque Lake District.
Back in 2022 when I took part the first time around, I had very little experience running marathons – let alone taking them on consecutively. Despite some experience as a sprinter with Ardee Athletics Club, I still had to put in plenty of effort to build up both the physical and mental fortitude that long-distance running demands.
Saying it was difficult would be an understatement, but thankfully I was surrounded by supportive voices and had plenty of reasons to stay motivated. I’m grateful to work with a business that is passionate about giving back to its local communities, which served as a guiding light when I made the decision to begin fundraising for the Brathay Trust.
I’d previously been exposed to the incredible work they do supporting thousands of disadvantaged children and young adults every year, and wanted to contribute to their ability to offer these people a better future for themselves through the learning opportunities and community programmes that the Brathay Trust offers.
The support and encouragement I received from my family, friends and colleagues really helped me to keep going when the long road ahead was tough, and thanks to some incredibly generous donations I was delighted to raise a total of £5,701 through my first 10in10 challenge.
Fast forward to today, and I’m gearing up to do it all over again. Since being accepted into Brathay’s 2025 team I’ve commenced fundraising for the wonderful organisation once more, and I’m delighted to be closing in on my initial target of £3,600 raised for the charity already.
Once again I’ve been blown away by the level of support I’ve received – it’s been an honour to see my fundraising efforts featured in publications like the Drogheda Independent and on the Brathay Trust’s own website, and I was thrilled to be awarded NRL Group CSR Award at our annual Christmas Conference last year in recognition of my ongoing efforts to support the Brathay Trust.
Preparing for this year’s 10in10 has been another really difficult journey, and people have already asked why I would want to run 10 marathons in 10 days again considering how taxing it was the first time around. The simple answer is that life is tough, and things don’t always go your way. By making a conscious choice to put myself through this intense physical and mental challenge, my suffering will be temporary, but the good that will come from doing it could make a lasting difference on someone’s life.
I’m just a few short weeks away from embarking on this year’s challenge and with my sights set on conquering it once again I’ve been hard at work building my strength. Despite an unfortunate injury I picked up back in January that saw me off my feet for almost 6 weeks, resulting in being a bit behind compared to my fitness levels in 2022, I’m still determined to get the 10in10 done and have been participating in a number of other marathons to help get myself prepared for the big event. Over the past few months I’ve trained across both sides of the Atlantic, taking part in events from Warrington and Langdale to Chicago, and I’m topping off my training by competing in this week’s London marathon.
I’m so grateful for all the wonderful support I’ve received once again for this year’s challenge, and it’s encouraging knowing that every pound raised goes a long way towards improving the life chances of children, young people and families. If you’d like to discover more about my 10in10 journey and show your support, I’d really appreciate it if you could visit and share my Just Giving page and consider leaving a donation to support the Brathay Trust in their mission to deliver a brighter future for those in need.