A 65-year-old woman on an epic running mission had a colourful send-off after she left Arranmore Island this morning.
Mary Nolan Hickey is making her way through Donegal as part of an ‘RNLI Lap of the Map’. Each day Mary is running miles as she aims to conquer the entire coast of the island of Ireland.
So far she has covered over 500 miles on this fundraising mission to support the life-saving work of the RNLI. Mary is also visiting as many RNLI stations in Ireland as she can during this journey.
Following a rest day on Arranmore, Mary moved off in the direction of Leitirmacaward today. The children of Acres NS, Burtonport greeted Mary off the ferry with a fantastic display of motivational signs and cheers.
Mary has become quite the celebrity in Donegal and has inspired local runners to join her laps, while local businesses and volunteers have provided her with food, drinks and hospitality.
The experienced marathon runner started her mission on New Year’s Day in Wicklow. So far, she has navigated the North Coast and will soon be passing through Lettermacaward, Killybegs, Donegal Town, Bundoran before moving on to Sligo. She plans to arrive back in Arklow before June to collect her first pension cheque when she turns 66.
All money raised by Mary’s Lap of the Map will be split between all of the Lifeboat Stations in Ireland. Visit her donation page here: https://give.everydayhero.com/ie/rnli-lap-of-the-map
Speaking about her journey Mary said: “I wanted to prove that age is not a barrier. Coming from a coastal town I have a deep affinity with our local RNLI and have huge admiration for the brave men and women who risk their lives to save people at sea.”
Mary’s support team invites all runners and running clubs to come out and join her for a few miles and share the experience of the journey.
Follow Mary’s daily updates and route on her Facebook page here: rnlilapofthemap2018
Thank you to Mary Rodgers for sharing these photos from Burtonport.
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