Adhering to COVID-19 restrictions, a Mayo hurler raises funds for charity running a marathon while soloing a sliotar.
A player with Tooreen Hurling Club in County Mayo Cathal Freeman is running a marathon with a difference to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society and to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In compliance with social distancing measures, the 29-year-old medical student has created a 30-metre circuit on a patch of grass near his accommodation on the grounds of the University of Limerick. This garden marathon will see him repeating the circuit 1,400 times throughout the day.
As an added extra, he's undertaking the task while soloing a sliotar throughout.
Cathal Freeman has never run more than 10 km at any one time,
There'll be no land speed records broken here today.
Nevertheless motivated and up for the challenge shortly after 11 am, Cathal Freeman sets off on his marathon with proceedings live streamed on Facebook via Mayo GAA TV. Seven hours later he is almost at the end of the challenge. He expects to complete the 26 mile (42 km) distance at around 7 pm. Cathal Freeman's initial target of raising €20,000 is surpassed through pledges on his dedicated GoFundMe page.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 5 April 2020. The reporter is Pat McGrath.
