DONEGAL MAN Nick North (53) finished an endurance challenge yesterday that few people could even contemplate.
He ran the final 51km of a 3,000km run which began at Mozambique’s northern border with Tanzania and finished at its southern border with South Africa.
Despite blistering heat and hazards including malaria, getting lost in a remote area or attacked by a wild animal, the long distance runner has effectively run 66 marathons back-to-back since he set off on his adventure on June 20th.
Mozambique is one of the longest countries on the continent and North has run the distance with only seven rest days in his bid to raise money for local children with Irish charity Concern Worldwide. Speaking to The Irish Timesby phone from the finish line at Ponto d'Ora, a tired North said he was delighted to have completed the challenge.
“It was a great relief to cross the finish line today knowing that I would not have to get my running shoes on again tomorrow. The last leg of the challenge was a tough one because the final 20km was through sand, which makes running all the harder,” he said.
North initially intended to raise €45,000 for charity, but unfortunately he has so far struggled to raise more than quarter of that amount due to the recession, he believes.
“Other than the Denis O’Brien Foundation, which made a very generous donation, we have struggled to get the corporate world to back us. I couldn’t even get my running shoes sponsored. Most companies I approached said they really could not afford to help due to the current economic climate.
“What we have raised has come mostly from family, friends and other people around Donegal, who are always great when it comes to this sort of thing,” he said.
Although the fundraising side of the challenge has been disappointing, North says the experience was worth all the effort that he and his team put in.
“We’ve camped each night under the stars and due to radio and television publicity locally, villagers along the way have been very helpful when we passed through.
“They were genuinely interested in what I was up to. Some would stop by our camp in the evenings and offer a chicken to put in our dinner pot. We’d chat about everyday things and how the run was going,” he said.
- Further details: concernchallenge.org/