Gerard Fay from Bettystown will complete his 250th marathon on 2nd October.

The man who just cannot stop running

For many, the achievement of one marathon is a life’s ambition.

For Marathon Man, Gerard Fay, from Bettystown, running one marathon was never going to be enough. On Sunday 2nd October he will complete his 250th marathon in Monaghan Town, his 60th marathon since the start of the year.
Dubbed the “man who can’t stop running”, Gerard’s driving force has been a number of relatives lost to cystic fibrosis and so he has dedicated himself to raising funds for the development of hospital facilities and Cystic Fibrosis Ireland services, with almost €125,000 raised to date since 2008.
Indeed, there probably isn’t a county on the island of Ireland in which Gerard’s feet have not touched ground. He has recently completed the Clontarf Marathon in Dublin, the Achill Back2Back Directors’ Marathons and the Achill Ultra Marathons in County Mayo, the East of Ireland Marathon series in County Meath, and the Marathon Club of Ireland Marathon in Dundalk, County Louth.
Ahead of his 250th marathon, he has his eyes set on the Medieval Marathon in Kilkenny city, the Ó Dubhda Challenge in Co. Sligo, and the Kerry 24-hour Endurance Race. 
Incredibly, even after his 250th marathon, he won’t be hanging up his running shoes just yet, with a further five marathons planned, culminating in the Dublin Marathon on Sunday October 30.
For Gerard, he simply can’t stand still while people with cystic fibrosis and their families continue to need support in ensuring that they get the very best chances in life:
“I lost three of my cousins to cystic fibrosis at very young ages which hit everyone hard. My dream for people with cystic fibrosis is that they would get to live life to the full and get the best possible support in doing that. 
“There are around 1,200 people in Ireland who are living with cystic fibrosis and it’s so important that they have access to quality facilities and services. We have the highest rates of cystic fibrosis in the world, and some of the most severe types of the disease, so we need to do all that we can to combat this disease.
“My plan was to run 2016 miles in 2016 and so far, thankfully, I am running to schedule! While Monaghan will be my 250th marathon, I won’t be stopping there. I have many inspiring friends with cystic fibrosis and their daily struggles mean I can’t stop now. 
“I was born to run and as long as I can put one foot in front of the other, I will keep on running for them. My hope is that people too will continue their fantastic support and donate generously to Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.”

For more information on Gerard’s marathon effort, or to donate, visit 
www.seeoffcf.com or get in touch with Cystic Fibrosis Ireland directly on 1890 311 211 or at www.cfireland.ie