Europe

IRISHMAN RUNS TO CUBA*

Record-setting adventure by Irish athlete ends in Galway City, Ireland

14 December 2002. Irishman, Richard Donovan, the first person in history to run a marathon at both the North and South Poles, has just concluded an amazing year long athletics adventure in native Galway city, Ireland. In completing a 35 mile run which finished outside a bar called Cuba*, Donovan succeeded in completing the first ever global ‘grand slam’ of marathoning, running a distance of 26.2 miles or longer on all seven continents and the North and South poles. He also became the first person to run an ultramarathon on each of the seven continents in the same calendar year, many of them in extreme climatic conditions and circumstances. (An ultramarathon is a distance longer than the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles)

Donovan, the 36 year-old Irish adventure runner, embarked on his year-long odyssey in January when he travelled to Antarctica and won the First Ever South Pole Marathon (90 degrees South) on January 22nd. Running in wind chill temperatures of –50C at an altitude of almost 10,000 feet, he then added an additional 3km to complete an ultra marathon distance of 45km in total. Some ten weeks later, Donovan ventured to the northernmost point on earth and on April 5th became the first person to run a marathon at the geographic North Pole (90 degrees North). The North Pole is not situated on a continent but in the Arctic Ocean and his North Pole Marathon involved running on moving ice floes above 12,000 feet of water.

A change from the sub-zero temperatures beckoned in June when Donovan ran a low-key ultra marathon in Australia called the Poor Man’s Comrades Marathon. He completed the 87km uphill run from Sydney Opera House to Gosford in joint first position with Australian ultra marathon runner, Kieron Thompson.

After Australia, Donovan travelled to South America in August where he won the Inca Trail Marathon that finishes at the legendary lost city of Machu Picchu in Peru. This high altitude race encompasses 44km of tough mountain trails and three high passes en route, one of which is almost 14,000 feet.

Donovan’s North American ultra marathon took place in September at the USA National 24-Hour Championships in Toledo, Ohio. He hoped to use the event to establish an Irish 100km or 100-mile (160km) record, but unseasonably high temperatures and humidity stifled any realistic attempts. Instead, he opted to run a distance of 110km and finish up.

October found Donovan in Asia on the border of India and Nepal, where he competed in the Himalayan 100-Mile Stage Race. This five-stage event begins at an altitude of 5,000 feet and on the first 24-mile stage there is an altitude gain of 7,000 feet. Donovan won all five stages en route to taking the overall title, thereby also winning the Everest Challenge Marathon race that is held on the third day.

Less than three weeks after his Himalayan adventure run, Richard lined up for the Trans 333 through the Sahara Desert of Southern Tunisia, Africa. The Trans 333 is the longest desert race in the world, covering a distance of 333km, or 208 miles, in one stage. Despite various ailments in the event, including severe blistering and acute tendonitis, he managed to hobble across the finish line in 12th position.

In association with a fund-raising endeavour by Donovan, his final run of the year - the European leg - was a specially staged and novel event. Richard had embarked on his year of running to raise funds for two charities – a street children’s project in Calcutta operated by Irish humanitarian organisation GOAL and an animal sanctuary in the west of Ireland. In solidarity, Donovan opted to run 35 miles from the benefiting animal sanctuary, situated in a small village called Killimor, and finish outside a bar called ‘Cuba*’ in Galway city. Dubbed ‘Killimor to Cuba*’, the event saw supporters raise €1,000 each to accompany Donovan for a mile along the route.

Mirroring the diversity of his races during the year, among those who accompanied Donovan en route included a sponsored dog, the president of the local university, a soldier, a journalist, the head of an airline, a bar owner, a TV personality, a hotel manager, doctors, DJs, various small business owners and other enthusiastic participants from every walk of life. Although she could not be present on the day, Irish athletics superstar Sonia O’Sullivan also generously sponsored a mile. Finally, at 3pm on Saturday, December 14th, Donovan’s year of adventure running concluded in the Irish countryside, with almost 1,000km of racing completed and more than €50,000 pledged in all.

Europe (December 14th, 2002)

Killimor to Cuba*: This 35 mile, or 56km run, began at the animal sanctuary in Killimor, Co. Galway and finished at Cuba* bar in Galway City, Ireland. Richard was accompanied along the route by a fantastic group of supporters who each raised 1,000 euros for the charities and then ran a a mile or more each along the course. It was a festive and fun occasion throughout and Richard finished his final ultramarathon outside Cuba* after 5 hours and 14 minutes.