Sailor’s seven marathons in a week inspired by rugby legend
Eddy determined to complete his epic fundraiser for the Motor Neurone Disease Association after being moved by Leeds Rhinos hero Rob Burrow’s ongoing battle with the degenerative condition
A ROYAL Navy sailor, inspired by the plight of a terminally-ill rugby league star, has vowed to complete seven marathons in as many days.
Able Rate (Supply Chain) Eddy Eggleton is running around Portsmouth Naval Base for the week in a bid to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
The epic fundraiser is inspired by Leeds Rhinos’ hero Rob
Burrow, who has been battling the degenerative condition since 2019. Since then, the sports star has bravely fought to raise awareness of motor neurones.
Logistician Eddy - himself a
Hull FC fan – was moved by Rob’s courage and a similar running challenge undertaken by Burrow’s former Leeds teammate Kevin Sinfield.
Starting each morning from the base’s waterfront logistics support group, and taking the same route around Portsmouth to Gosport and back, Eddy aimed to raise £1,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association when he planned his endeavour.
But before starting the third marathon today he had already burst through £1,500.
Eddy, who has been in the navy for five years, had done two marathons before and generally runs about 25 miles a week but even after the second run he’s found the going tough.
‘Whatever pain I am going through during the seven days is nothing compared to what people with MND go through,’ he said. ‘I love what Rob Burrow brought to rugby league, being a little man in a massive man’s game, and for someone with the heart of a lion to be debilitated with MND is awful.
‘First day of running went really well, I ran it in four hours 17 minutes, took it easy before the end because I knew I had to do it over seven days so I slowed down a bit.
‘Yesterday was a struggle; I’ve got a dodgy ankle so I’m going to take it a bit easier now, but I’m determined that I get through all seven.’
Support for his running comes from workmate Tom Galloway, who is cycling alongside Eddy carrying water and energy gels, and running back on to base by 3pm each day will mean he can make a physio appointment and prepare for the following day’s marathon.
To support Eddy’s efforts, see: justgiving.com/fundraising/ eddye-7in7