The Erne Endurance 2 Running Team will be running 10km every four hours for 48 hours over this weekend of August 18.
The team will complete this marathon endurance run with a crew of experienced runners, and all in aid of local charity, Fermanagh BrightStarz.
Mark Joseph McCaffrey, Rory O'Donnell and Liam McQuaid.
Rory O’Donnell, of Erne Endurance, said he was “blown away by the Fermanagh BrightStarz and what they do”, and added that he and the team approached the Starz after seeing their show in the Ardhowen Theatre in June to ask if they would like to be their charity partner for this year’s Erne Endurance Run 2.
Patricia Goan, Chair of Fermanagh BrightStarz, said: “The Starz were delighted to be chosen as the charity partner.”
She invited Rory and the runners along to a launch event in Fermanagh House recently, where Patricia thanked Lilley’s Fuels & Lubricants for the generous donation of 400 litres of oil as part of a bonus ball event taking place in the lead up to the weekend.
She also thanked John McDaid of Centra Clogher and Skipper Jack’s Fish & Chips for sponsoring the event.
Conall Gallagher, John McDaid and Laura Keenan.
The BrightStarz members met with the runners and showcased footage from their DVD, ‘My Crazy Covid Year’.
Members of the group and their families spoke to the audience about what BrightStarz means to them, and the difference it has made to them.
Impressed
The runners were really impressed by the speakers and their families. Patricia told the audience that the charity, which was established in 2015, is run completely by volunteers in the Fermanagh community.
The cast members talked about the close-knit community of adults at BrightStarz where the team focus very much on ability, not disability.
When members were asked what they love about BrightStarz, they said they loved the social connection, along with the freedom to be who they want to be, the friendships they have and the fun of every Tuesday evening.
Kerry Maguire, Mark Burns and Darren Day.
Gemma Maguire Carrothers, of BrightStarz, spoke about the big annual event in the calendar for the Starz which will take place on November 11 in the Killyhevlin Hotel, when they launch the DVD from their show in the Ardhowen Theatre earlier this year.
Gemma said: “This is the big night out for our cast, and they do it in style.
“We all love it, as do the band, Full Moon Fever, who perform for our cast every year.”
Rory O’Donnell said that the endurance run is a tough one as the team run continuously in relay, completing a 10km run around Enniskillen every four hours for 48 hours.
The event will start at the Lakeland Forum on Friday, August 18 at 4pm and finish on Sunday, August 19 at 4pm.
Launch event
He described how the runners dig deep on the midnight and 4am runs and that listening to the BrightStarz cast members tell their story at the launch event will help the runners stay strong in the wee small hours before dawn.
He said that if the team can have half the courage that the BrightStarz cast have going out on stage, they will absolutely smash the running challenge.
Rhiannon O'Shea, Damian Martin and Sarah Keith.
Rory said the team were delighted with the support from Skipper Jack’s and Lilley’s Fuels & Lubricants.
He said the great thing about the run is that many runners join the run over the weekend and run with the main team, which is a “huge support” and “morale boost” for them.
Rory said that he hoped the community will get behind this Endurance Run 2 and support the runners as they complete it and sponsor them so that the funds are raised for a very worthy local charity.
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