Morecambe man to run 10 marathons in 10 days – Friday 8 May – Sunday 17 May
Morecambe man to run 10 marathons in 10 days. A Morecambe man who has run 11 marathons in eight years faces his toughest challenge yet.
Forty-eight year old Andrew Shanley has pledged to run 10 marathons in 10 days to raise £3,000 for a Lake District based charity that works with young people.
Setting out on Friday 8 May and finishing on Sunday 17 May, along with 14 others who were selected for the event, Andrew will run the same 26.2 miles each day. The anti-clockwise route will see him circumnavigating England’s longest lake, Windermere ten times.
Described by adventurer and extreme survival expert Bear Grylls as “an epic challenge that will require an epic strength of mind”, only 79 people have completed it since it started in 2007. It is organised by the charity Brathay Trust as their flagship fundraiser.
The father of three, a self-employed air conditioning engineer, says he started running half marathons in 2007 as a way of losing weight and keeping motivated.
He said; “My sons helped me train by riding out on their bikes while I ran. A mile seemed such a long way and I’d ask how far we’d gone and get the reply “only quarter of a mile, dad!” But I got there and in 2009 I went on to run my first marathon which impressed my dad just before he died of cancer.
“Now our whole family is into running, it’s a big part of our lives. As well as sons Joseph (23) and Daniel (21) who got me started on their bikes on Morecambe promenade, my other son Jack (12) is a runner. He recently competed in the Toronto 5k with my wife Julie and peddles along on some of my runs for support and company. And Julie, who has run many half marathons, tackled the London Marathon with me last year“, explained Andrew.
Andrew says he’s also glad of the support of this other running family, the Lancaster and Morecambe Athletics Club of which he has been a member for the last seven years.
He says one of his favourite training routes is from Morecambe to Lancaster as he never tires of the views and a run home along by the river Lune.
Andrew, whose mother died of cancer when he was 17 years old knows what it’s like to be left with a massive void in your life. He said: “This is why when I see what Brathay does with vulnerable children and young people I can relate to how important their work is. They work with many of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged to help them develop the skills, confidence and motivation to make positive choices in their lives.”
Scott Umpleby, Head of Fundraising at Brathay Trust, says the charity appreciates all that the runners do, including putting their lives on hold to prepare for the event and to fundraise. Scott describes is at one of the most scenic, and challenging, marathons in Europe and said: “It requires an amazing strength of mind and is surely proof that ordinary people can do extra-ordinary things. It’s an ethos that inspires our work with young people.”
Andrew Shanley has already raised £750 for local and national charities including Marie Curie and St John’s Hospice. Local people and businesses are supporting him once more with donations now total £ £1,776 towards his £3,000 target for the Ambleside based Brathay Trust.
To support Andrew visit his JustGiving page.
Blogs and video updates charting Andrew’s progress will be posted here during the event:
Supporters can also follow the 10in10 on Twitter: @Brathay10in10
ENDS
To contact Andrew call 07767473731 or email him.
Image shows Andrew Shanley who is running 10 marathons in 10 days this May.