Wexford dairy farmer to run four marathons in four days

Irish Independent

17-07-2025

After previously fundraising for national charities by taking on Dublin and Waterford Marathons, Ferns resident Kenneth was motivated to select a local concern this year after learning about the vital work undertaken by Arklow-based East Coast Samaritans from his mother-in-law Olive, a long-serving volunteer with the charity.
The Sliabh Buidhe Rovers Athletic Club member had already been plotting a grand adventure for 2025, and had set his sights on the ultra-challenging Quadrathon, a test of endurance that will see Kenneth run a separate route every day, completing a single 105-mile loop over four days, through hills, mountains and along coastal roads around Inishowen and the Wild Atlantic Way.
Diligently preparing for the challenge, Kenneth said he feels an immense sense of pride to be raising funds for a local cause that is so close to his heart, adding that seeing donations come in will give him all the fuel he needs to push through the pain barrier.
'My mother-in-law, Olive, does volunteer work for East Coast Samaritans, answering calls at night, and after speaking to her and learning that they are the only Samaritans branch in the country who have to pay rent, I knew I had to fundraise for them,' Kenneth began.
'I usually raise money for the big, national charities, but when Olive told me about the great work that East Coast Samaritans do, and the fact that it's local, helping local people that are going through a bad time with their mental health, that clinched it for me.
'I suppose, like a lot of other people, you get into running for your mental health. It has helped me so much. So, for me to actually help raise money for a mental health charity, and maybe inspire others to take up running, exercise or getting outdoors for their mental health, that's massive for me.
'I've had a good few donations already, with some from friends and some from people I wouldn't even know, and I'll be giving updates every day during the Quadrathon – hopefully the donations will keep coming in,' he added.
'I know, when I'm up there running in the hills, just thinking about donations coming in and the difference that might make to someone's life will keep me going.'
Unlike flat marathon courses, extreme north races require a little more endurance, with runners flocking to Donegal on August 14 encouraged to allow an extra 10pc on their normal marathon time to account for elevation and back-to-back runs.
Having recently recovered from a lower back injury that cause bad sciatica, Kenneth has kicked into overdrive to prepare his body for the rigors of the challenge, ascending peaks like Sliabh Buí and seeking out mountainous terrain wherever he can find it as part of his pre-Quadrathon training regime.
'I am always up for a challenge, and I usually do the Dublin Marathon, and I was trying to get a sub-three-hour time, which I was delighted to get in Amsterdam,' Kenneth said.
'I came across the Quadrathon after I was scrolling through Facebook and saw that someone from the Wexford Marathon Club had done four marathons. So, I started researching it, and thought I'd love to do that.
'I applied for it, but then got unlucky when I got injured and had very bad sciatica. I was trying to work and couldn't really train, so I just did a bit of gym instead. I kept working at it, and I started back cycling.
'Now I'm back running, and things are going well.
'I've been doing a good few races just to get up to speed, and a lot of my long runs are hilly, because the marathons I'll be doing in Donegal are not like Waterford or Dublin,' he continued.
'They're up in the hills along the Atlantic Way and you could be climbing for two miles, so you have to prepare the body for that.
'I did the Glendalough Lap of the Gap Marathon last year, which was a challenging one because it's very hilly, but it was good practice.
'You're running four marathons, so you need to be able for that high mileage and basically get the body used to being under pressure and running on tired legs. Even if I was going for a recovery run, I'll find a few hills to go up, just to keep the body under pressure.
'It's nice to have something to work towards, and it's a challenge for me, which I love – so it's a win-win.'
You can support Kenneth via gofund.me/7ae60cbb