Rain, hail and wind doesn’t stop fundraiser

WEST Clare Mini Marathon Committee chairman Willie McGrath was relieved that the 15th cancer centre fundraising run/walk went ahead on Sunday. Awoken in the early hours of Sunday morning by hailstones and high winds, he was convinced the fundraiser would have to be postponed.
“At 3.50am after that shower, which most people I spoke to heard, I got up and I was down around the house. I came back up and I said to Mary, ‘the West Clare Mini Marathon is off for sure. It has to be’,” he said in Kilkee on Sunday.
“Then we got up at 7am and we said a few prayers. We went into town later and I met some of the stewards. They are the driving force and they said ‘no, it’s going ahead because so many people would be disappointed if it didn’t’. Conditions were very testing but it’s over, thank God,” the committee chairman added.
The 640 runners and walkers had to contend with wind, rain and hailstones preventing their speedy return from Kilrush to Kilkee.
“When I went down to Kilrush to start the walkers, it was reasonably good at the time. I came back up to Kilkee to bring the runners down on the bus and we ran into a massive shower of hailstone. The lads couldn’t get out of the bus in Kilrush for at least 10 minutes. But after that it was just plain sailing,” Willie said.
While he was concerned about the weather, those taking part were adamant that they were ready and able to take part.
“I never have any worry about the runners because everybody is prepared for this. They look forward to it. My only concern all day was that somebody might drift out on the road and they wouldn’t hear a car coming. But thankfully we’ve everyone back,” he noted.
“The cause is here to stay. Looking at the people who turned out, they really mean what they do. It’s their marathon and today proved that. The conditions were frightening. There was lots of water here and there on the road. I met some people along the road that just laughed at the whole idea but we’re all fine,” the Kilkee man said.
Having completed his 15th run, Willie did acknowledge that he was feeling the strain.
“I found it very testing because I don’t have age on my side any more,” he laughed.