Marathon man is one in a million

BY THE time 2022 has come to an end, Gary McKee will have run 365 marathons – a marathon a day. A remarkable achievement: the equivalent of running from the UK to Australia.

Like the Herdwick sheep that roam the Lakeland fells to the east of where he lives in Cleator Moor, he’s a hardy soul. So, 331 marathons down, 34 to go.

In his early 50s, Gary has managed to get so far because he is hard core; has got a great group of friends who have taken turns to run with him; and has a supporting employer who allows him to run in the morning (he tends to get running by six o’clock) and then work later in the day.

So far, this phenomenal running machine has raised more than £251,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

Helping people less fortunate than himself is his main driver (he’s raised a lot of dosh for Macmillan before).

You can help his herculean effort by donating at: justgiving. com/fundraising/threesixfive. Don’t forget to add Gift Aid.

His mission, he says, is to raise £1 million.

Knowing the grit of this individual, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets there.

SO more strikes have been announced by the RMT, a union that doesn’t give a damn about the customers who indirectly pay its members their wages through exorbitant train fares.

Last week, GWR staff added to customer misery by deciding to have a little strike of their own, throwing my work commute into chaos.

I managed to get into work using an alternative SWR service – although it wasn’t without its own issues. A lack of cleaners meant the guard on the first service out of Wokingham on Tuesday morning had to apologise for the unkempt state of the train.

And to think that so far the only compensation I have received for all the inconvenience caused by bolshie unions over the past few months is a cheque (yes, a cheque) from SWR for a miserly £3.03.

To RMT boss Mick Lynch, above: stop playing politics with our railways and instruct your members to get back to work.