Joe Hammel is really looking forward to a pint of Guinness. It’s not that he has a drink problem, it’s just that having run 3,100 kms in the past ten months to raise funds for Crumlin Hospital, he has developed a bit of a thirst!
On July 1st last year Joe set out to run 10Kms every day for a full year to raise funds for Crumlin Children’s Hospital to say thanks to them for saving his son Joseph’s life.
True to his word Joe has run 10k every day for the past ten months and tomorrow (Monday April 26) will be his 300th 10k run in as many days.
When Joe and I spoke back in August 2020 he was just a few weeks into his campaign and, although I said nothing, I was a bit dubious as to whether or not he would stick to his plan.
After all, it’s a huge undertaking to commit to running 10kms every day for 365 days come rain, hail or shine. Nobody could have blamed him for giving up.
But he didn’t, and now he’s on the home run with ONLY another 650 kms to run in the next two months!
Joe and I met up again yesterday and he admitted that he also had self-doubts and really didn’t think he’d make it this far down the road.
He told me that days 20 to 100 were “a serious battle” with physical and mental fatigue but he pushed on through the pain barrier and he says he has enjoyed every run since, no matter what the weather was like.
“I actually enjoy the different types of weather; each bring their own pleasure” he said. “I was lucky it was a mild enough winter and only 50 of my runs were done in the rain.”
Joe said that his lowest moment came on St. Patrick’s Day when he was attacked by three dogs as he ran on the Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club course. He was badly mauled and he admits it did cross his mind to give up.
It is a measure of his strength of mind and determination that he was back out running the next morning but he has never run on the golf club since even though his home backs on to it.
Joe says he was never a big runner before this. “I was never in a club or anything like that, but I did like to run occasionally” he said.
Mostly Joe runs around Bettystown and Mornington where he lives but on Saturday mornings he ventures into Drogheda and he is joined by several like-minded souls to run the route of the Drogheda 10K starting at 8.30 am at Dominick’s Park.
Often he runs alone but occasionally friends or work colleagues would accompany him. His most constant companion has been his brother-in-law Bernard McCormick and his son Connor for whom Joe had some very warm words.
“Without them I would have found it a lot more daunting” he said, “I am massively grateful to them.”
Joe works for the global financial services company Mercers who he says have also been incredibly supportive of him during the past year and also when Joseph was in hospital fighting for his life.
“They were really good to me then and also with the running” Joe said. “They came to me asking how they could help and they have spread the word with clients around the world. Oh, and they also sponsor my runners!”
This whole story started when Joseph was just seven years old and doctors discovered a malignant tumour the size of a melon between his lung and heart that needed to be shrunk before they could safely remove it.
Joe and his wife Nicole were beside themselves with worry but, thanks to the great care and medical expertise of the doctors and nurses at Crumlin, Joseph pulled through. He’ll have to have regular check-ups for years to come but his life had been saved.
Joseph has a huge interest in and love for animals and his ambition is to open his own zoo. When we met last August he introduced me to his collection of pets. This time around he showed me his tank full of tadpoles.
The bond between Joe and his son is great to see, you just know that he would run to the ends of the earth to help his boy.
Joe set out to raise €5,000 with his running but he has powered past that target and the total now stands at over €36,000. It would be great to seem him break the €40,000 mark.
Final question: So Joe, where are you going to have that pint of Guinness?
“In the back garden at Moran’s pub in Mornington, I run past it a lot and would love to call in for a cold one. I reckon they’ll be open for outdoor pints by the time I’ve finished this – the end of July.”
I really hope so Joe, God knows you’ve earned it!
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