Boyz in blue: ronan joins 150 gardai for record-breaking chicago marathon bid
Tuesday October 06 2009
SINGER Ronan Keating is set to join a group of 150 gardai this weekend as they run themselves into the record books at the Chicago marathon.
The officers taking part in the Great Garda Run on Sunday will make history as the largest contingent from any police force in the globe to compete in a sports event.
And the efforts of the boys and girls in blue will see them raising more than €250,000 for the Marie Keating Foundation, the charity set up by Ronan following the death of his mother from breast cancer.
The Boyzone frontman is expected to complete the gruelling race in less than three hours and will be joined by event patron Shane O'Donoghue from 2FM.
Inspector Niall Featherstone explained: "This is the second year of the Great Garda Run, and we set out our stall from the very start as we wanted to have a tangible legacy.
"It's a huge undertaking, but our fundraising will cover the cost of purchasing a mobile information unit, including staffing and running costs for two years. We wanted to do something for the Marie Keating Foundation because it doesn't receive any Government funding."
The group includes members from every county in Ireland, ranging in ages from 20 to 57 and ranking from students right up to superintendents.
Inspector Featherstone revealed: "We pride ourselves in the fact that every garda going to Chicago is paying his or her own way. It's not a junket. We have asked that each runner raises a minimum of €1,500 and they're all surpassing that figure. Some have even come in with €20,000."
The members of the Great Garda Run were offered 150 places in the prestigious Chicago marathon thanks to the work of former World Champion runner Eamon Coghlan.
"Eamon is very well known in the US so he opened a lot of doors for us," said Inspector Featherstone.
- AOIFE FINNERAN
