Janet marks 40th with marathon
A Dundalk woman who decided to run marathons as her 40th birthday approaches has been selected as a delegate to walk behind the flag bearer to represent Ireland at the opening ceremony of the New York marathon next month.
Janet Moroney explains that she wanted to do the world famous New York marathon before she turns 40 next March.
‘My husband Sean said I should go for it so I put my
‘I’m on target with my fund raising thanks to friends and colleagues.’
name down for the ballot entry and when I didn’t get it, I was disappointed,’ she explains. ‘ The day after I got an email from Temple Street Children’s Hospital saying that I could do it for them, so I once I realised that I could do the fund-raising, I put my signed up.’
Janet, who works part time in Tesco, started running with the encouragement of the late Andy Califf.
‘My daughters run with St Gerard’s AC and I was going along with them to events and was volunteering at the Park Run so I started running myself and joined the North East Runners.
She began doing 5km and 10km races and was persuaded by Andy to do a full marathon.
‘I did my first marathon last year after Andy talked me into doing the Dublin City Marathon,’ she recalls. ‘I said it would be my first and last marathon, and even when I did it. I said ‘never again’. But a few days afterwards, he rang me and talked me into doing another one, saying that the Derry Marathon would be a nice one to do, so I signed up for that and also for the Dublin marathon again.’
She has ran a couple of half marathons as well as the women’s mini-marathon and does most of her training after dropping daughters Leah, Keley and Seana to school or at the weekends.
‘I’m not a fast runner but I’m definitely fitter than before I started running and I do enjoy it.’
Janet is one of twelve runners doing the New York marathon for Temple Street and is looking forward to meeting them before they go to the Big Apple next month.
‘I’m on target with my fund raising thanks to friends and colleagues as I held a couple of events like a cake sale and bag packing in Tesco.’
And she’s now that she’s got the marathon bug she has another challenge lined up to mark her 40th.
‘I’ve signed up for The Quads in Donegal next August which is four marathons or four half marathons in four days around Donegal. And I’ve also put my name in the ballot for the 2018 London marathon so hopefully I’ll get that as well.’