A total of 35,000 people in 32 countries across 13 different time zones took part in the run that included the 600 in Killarney. None
DUBLIN footballer Bernard Brogan was among a string of sports stars and famous faces taking part in a charity run which the tired GAA man joked afterwards was "not at all like Gaelic football".
He was joined by Munster rugby’s JJ Hanrahan, Galway hurler Joe Canning and former Kerry footballer Seamus Moynihan for the first Wings for Life World Run in aid of spinal cord research.
Other well-known faces taking part included Irish women’s rugby star Siobhan Fleming, 2 FM’s Paddy McKenna and Mark McCabe.
The race has a unique format with no finish line but runners are chased down by a ‘catcher car’ that sets off 30 minutes after the start, travelling at 15 kph.
CAUGHT
Brogan managed to cover 10km before the catcher car caught up with him and forced him to retire.
"It’s not at all like Gaelic football," he said.
"It was my first time running just over 10km before being caught by the car, but being there was all that mattered. It’s all about having fun and raising money for an important cause."
The last man standing was Leixlip native John O’Regan who managed 49.2km in 3 hrs 33 minutes, running from Killarney to Kells on the Ring of Kerry.
"I think I was the first to be caught by the car," JJ Hanrahan said. "I was a bit tired from the match last night in Edinburgh but it was a great event and nice to run with some other sports stars I really admire."
The last woman standing was Louth’s Alison Kirwan, living in Kerry who managed to achieve a fantastic 30.4km in a time of 2hrs 28 mins.
Lemawork Ketema of Ethiopia won a knife-edge worldwide men’s race, completing 78.57km before being hauled in by the Catcher Car in the race with no fixed finish line.
Elise Selvikvåg Molvik of Norway covered 54.79km in Stavanger to take global honours in the women’s race.
The unique format meant the leaders in the final races still running – in Austria, Britain, Italy and Peru – were left trying to stay just ahead of the car and hoping to nose ahead of their rivals around the world.
The race is to raise funds for spinal research. In Ireland, there are about 1,700 people paralysed as a result of spinal cord injury.
Article taken from Herald.ie