Joe raises €1k in marathon for Help Us Help Others
OVER €1,000 has been raised for Tallaght families in need by a local man who embarked on a virtual marathon recently.
Joe Geoghegan, from Fettercairn in Tallaght, clocked up a total of 31.5 miles when he ran the KBC Virtual Dublin Marathon in aid of the Help Us Help Others campaign.
The campaign is run by the Vine Group, of which Joe is a member, and which is made up of parishioners from the Church of the Incarnation in Fettercairn, St Thomas the Apostle in Jobstown and St Mary’s Priory in Tallaght Village.
Every Christmas, committees from local branches of the Society of St Vincent de Paul nominate families who receive the money that is donated through the Help Us Help Others campaign.
Knowing that the money raised would help families in need spurred Joe on when he undertook the marathon challenge, which saw him pounding the pavement around the city and county.
“The money is still coming in,” Joe told The Echo. “And the more they give, the more people we’ll be able to help.
“Every penny that’s given will go to the people who need it.”
Joe ran through the Phoenix Park, O’Connell Street, Rathmines and Harold’s Cross, and looped back to his home in Fettercairn via the Greenhills Road, Old Bawn, Tymon and Bancroft for the final miles.
He ran the marathon with minimal training, however Joe is a seasoned marathon runner who, after last weekend, has now run 11 marathons.
“When I finished, I was delighted,” Joe explained. “I didn’t train – I did a 5k in March and a 10k in July, so I surprised myself because I ran more than half of the marathon.
“I stuck with my plan of running for two songs and then walking for two songs when I got tired.
“I did bump into different runners and clubs along the way, and we were all doing the virtual marathon. It was very enjoyable.”
Joe’s wife, Patricia, joined him for the final leg of the marathon from The Square to Fettercairn, and he’s hoping people will continue to donate to Help Us Help Others in recognition of his run.
Donations for Help Us Help Others can be made online at https://gofund.me/bb0535e9 or people can drop donations into the parish office in St Mark’s Church, Springfield, or the Church of the Incarnation, Fettercairn after 10am Sunday Mass.
