Runners going the extra mile for a great cause

A group of local runners have set themselves the not insignificant target of clocking up 200km each over the month of November to raise funds for the new Maternity Bereavement Room planned for the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar.

In total, 17 runners, mainly from Mullingar and Multyfarnham, are taking part in the fundraise. Some of the group passed the 100km halfway mark by completing a half marathon in Multy on Saturday. Currently top of the mileage charts is Aaron Nolan, with his fellow 16 runners not far behind him. By the end of the month, the group will have run a whopping 3,400km between them.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, organiser Ger Feerick, who works in the hospital, said that some people are breaking it up into five 10km runs a week, while others are running six kilometres in the morning and maybe another four in the evening in order to reach their target.

While it takes a bit of planning, Ger says that it is the perfect time for a project like this with Christmas looming on the horizon.

“It will make a bit of room for turkey in December,” he joked.

All of the money raised will go towards the costs associated with setting up the bereavement room, which will provide grieving families with a place for themselves away from the main maternity unit.

“I think they have secured funding to build it but we are looking to get money for the upkeep and to buy things like couches and fridges and whatever else has to be bought,” Ger said.

Their campaign has certainly struck a chord with people. At the time of writing they had raised over €5,000 and with more than two weeks to go were well on their way to smashing their €6,000 target.

“ I have had a lot of people contact me to say that it its something that has touched them. They have been down that road in the past where they have lost a little baby, they are so overwhelmed and so proud of us for doing it,” he said.

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