Mark completes 20 marathon challenge for St Giles Hospice

Mark Shanahan, from Sutton Coldfield, clocked up 520 marathon miles and raised more than £9,000 for St Giles Hospice.

The 31-year-old crossed the finish line of his final marathon – at the charity's site in Sutton Coldfield – on Saturday.

The runner took on the challenge to help raise vital funds for the hospice, which had looked after his Uncle Gerard "Gez" Brennan, who had cancer.

He said: "It’s a great feeling to reach the finish line after taking on such a huge task. What should have been straightforward has turned into a unique challenge this year.

"It’s been tough at times to get through it all but I’ve had some amazing support along the way. My family, friends and colleagues have been so supportive and generous all year – I’m really grateful.

Cancelled

"Running 20 marathons in 2020 had a nice ring to it so I signed up to do 20 events. Everything was going well and I had already run five marathons when suddenly the Covid-19 crisis hit. The remaining events were quickly cancelled and I realised that I would have to go it alone."

Mark, a marketing manager for Jaguar Land Rover, ran a solo marathon around Sutton Park – before doing his seventh and eighth marathons in his garden and drive due to lockdown in March.

And when the restrictions were eased he hit the streets once more – taking on several loops around the Sutton Fun Run course, circuits around the Villa Park pitch and runs around and between the Jaguar Land Rover factories in Castle Bromwich and Solihull, with the company donating £1,000.

Mark took on the challenge in memory of his uncle Gez, a Marston's Brewery worker who died from cancer in February last year. He attended classes and social events at the hospice's supportive care centre in Sutton Coldfield in the two years before his death.

The runner added: "Going to the centre made such a difference to my uncle as he was able to enjoy yoga classes and social activities among people who understood and were in the same situation as him. The friendship and support they gave him was invaluable.

"It was a great comfort to his family to know that they were there for him – and for us – when we needed them. St Giles is really important for the local community and I wanted to help make sure that their support would still be available for other families when they need it."

Elinor Eustace, director of fundraising at St Giles Hospice, said Mark’s fundraising efforts on behalf of the hospice throughout 2020 had been truly inspirational.

She said: "We would like to say a huge thank you and congratulations to Mark. Completing 20 marathons at any time would be a fantastic achievement but for him to keep going on his own through lockdown and beyond has been nothing short of amazing.

"We’ve had to close our shops and cancel our organized events this year, which has had a massive impact on our fundraising. The support of people like Mark, who have managed to continue fundraising on their own, has been absolutely invaluable at a time when there is a continuing demand for our service. We’ve never needed our supporters more than we need them today."

To donate, visit Mark's JustGiving web page.