Ultra-runner Paddy McClintock will arrive in Drogheda on Saturday, 25th July, as part of a 650km challenge from Mizen Head to Portrush in memory of two close friends, Olly Chessher and Honor Edwards, both lost to suicide. Their loss is the reason the mental-health movement Check in on a Mate exists. Its mission is simple: normalise mental-health conversations through sport, make genuinely asking a mate how they’re doing a standard thing, not an awkward one.
The Drogheda stage will take him beyond the 440km mark, with his grandparents joining him on the route as local runners, cyclists and supporters are invited to take part or cheer him into town.
Paddy is running the length of Ireland over 14 consecutive days, covering more than a marathon every day between 17th and 30th July.
Saturday will mark Day 9 of the challenge, with a route of around 45km from Swords to Drogheda.
By the time he reaches the town, Paddy will have completed roughly two-thirds of the full distance to Portrush.
The challenge is being carried out in memory of his friends Olly Chessher and Honor Edwards, who both died by suicide.
Their loss led to the creation of Check in on a Mate, a mental health movement which aims to make honest conversations between friends a normal part of sport and everyday life.
Paddy is hoping to raise £15,000 for the organisation, with more than £6,400 already donated.
A support crew is travelling with him in a camper van throughout the challenge, while local runners and cyclists have been joining him for parts of each stage.
People in Drogheda are being encouraged to take part on Saturday by running or cycling a section of the route, or by coming out to support Paddy as he arrives in the town.
The Drogheda stage will also be a particularly special one for the McClintock family, with Paddy’s grandparents set to join him on the road during one of the toughest sections of the run.
Donations can be made at: https://checkinonamate.enthuse.com/pf/paddy-mcclintock
