WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY WILL MAKE

TRALEE Town Park will this weekend be the scene of a huge battle, a battle of wills that is, as runners from all over Kerry and further afield put their bodies and minds to the ultimate test with a gruelling 24-hour run.

A run like this has never before been attempted in Kerry and when the starter sounds at 12noon this Saturday, September 24, participants will set out on the first of many three quarters of a mile looped circuits of the park.

For those not wanting to tackle the 24-hour challenge, there are the slightly more agreeable options of 12 hour and six hour runs available as well. To be deemed a finisher, runners must complete a minimum of 26.2 miles for the six hour event (35 laps), 30 miles for the 12 hour event (40 laps) and 60 miles for the 24 hour event (80 laps).

Participants in the 24-hour segment will finish at 12noon on Sunday with some runners hoping to break the impressive 100-mile mark (133 laps).

“All I can do is get out there and try my best; I’ve done all the training and I know if I stick to what I’ve been doing up to now, I can keep my head up and get over the finish line,” said Simon Hallissey from Oakpark in Tralee. Aged just 20, Simon is the youngest participant.

Another who has been looking forward to the run for the last seven months is Tralee’s Brian Ó Sé, another athlete hoping to break the 100 mile mark.

“Taking on the 24 hour run appealed to me the moment I saw the first notice for the event,” he said.

“Having successfully completed a number of ultra-marathons and marathons, it made me wonder if I could achieve such a feat.

“The nerves are starting to kick in a bit but this is normal and I am more excited than nervous now. My only fear is that an injury or illness in the first half of this event could mean that I don’t complete the minimum distance,” he continued.

“My goal is to try and chip away lap after lap and overcome the times when it gets hard, to enjoy the experience and hopefully still be standing when the siren goes off at the end,” he added.

All going well, it could be the first of many 24-hour runs in The Kingdom and organisers say the event should provide a welcome economic boost for the county.

Some of the hardy runners who will take part in the Kerry 24-hour Endurance run in Tralee Town Park on Saturday September 24. From left: Simon Hallissey, Brian Ó Sé, Marilyn O’ Shea and Betty Brosnan.