Radio star Ray sets perfect New Year challenge for Kilkenny runners
Kilkenny runners and walkers are being urged to join a new fundraising challenge to raise money for LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice.
RTÉ star Ray D’Arcy has teamed up with the hospicefor the New Year fundraising event, which will run throughout 2021. Ray’s Marathon Challenge is looking for people to sign up to run or walk a marathon a week, every week, throughout 2021.
Ray is a long-standing supporter of LauraLynn and he is also an avid marathon runner. The TV and radio presenter set up Ray’s Marathon Challenge, which sets the nation’s running and walking lovers a challenge of clocking up 26.2 miles in a week, every week, for a full year!
Ray is hoping to persuade up to 1,000 like-minded people to sign up and join his challenge. If every one of those 1,000 people raised €500 each throughout the year, this would raise a €500,000 for LauraLynn.
Speaking about the fundraising drive, Ray said: “As many of you know by now, I am a long-standing supporter of LauraLynn Children’s Hospice and the amazing work that they do for children and their families across the country. I am also a big fan of running and training for marathons and marrying the two together, I came up with Ray’s Marathon Challenge!
“I know if you’re like me, you’ve really missed the community feel of running a marathon and the motivation and strength that you get from feeling like you are part of something bigger and I think that is exactly what we have been able to create with this challenge, even if it is in the virtual world.
“For all you walkers out there, it takes on average less than 9,000 steps a day to equate to a Marathon a week so it is a very doable challenge even for moderate walkers. The New Year is a perfect time to start this challenge and I would love as many runners and walkers out there as possible to join me and let’s raise as much as we can for LauraLynn.”
If this sounds like the perfect New Year’s Resolution, you can register your interest and find out more info at http://www.raysmarathonchallenge.ie. By joining this challenge, you will get access to a community of runners who are also taking part in the challenge. Registration is open and will remain open in January so there is still lots of time to get signed up and start this challenge.
Ray and his wife Jenny will host a podcast series connected to the challenge which will have lots of great content from celebrity athletes to nutrition experts and will keep you motivated throughout the year. All participants will also receive a free LauraLynn running t-shirt and will have access to personalised fundraising social media pages so you can connect in with all the other participants and get tips and hints on how to maximise your fundraising efforts.
All funds raised from this challenge will go towards care and supports for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
To register for Ray’s Marathon Challenge or to find out more information please visit: www.raysmarathonchallenge.ie
Registration is open and will remain open in January.
