Moylagh JFK 50 Mile Challenge: 'All welcome for 5 miles or 50 miles'
Preparations are advancing well for this year’s Moylagh JFK 50 Mile Challenge, taking place on June 15.
The event is in its 13th year and has raised €1.2m for cancer services to date. This year, funds raised will be split among the Irish Cancer Society (80%), LARCC (10%) and palliative care (10%).
Registration is open for the walk, which has prizes for teams and individuals, and each participant is asked to raise a minimum of €50 in sponsorship.
It begins at Dromone at 6am and walkers make their way through parts of Westmeath, Meath, and Cavan, passing Mullaghmeen Forrest, Fore Abbey, and Lough Lene, before finishing at Dromone that night.
Committee member and TD, Johnny Guirke, said the event is inspired by a challenge that started in the US in the early 1960s.
"John F Kennedy challenged the American military to walk 20 miles in 20 hours with backpacks on, to get them into shape," he said.
"It’s continued in America in some states right up to today and we decided we’d do it here for cancer services."
Deputy Guirke said the event has been a huge success in Moylagh over the years.
"We don’t waste a penny, it’s run on a shoestring budget of about €2,000 or €3,000 and is helped by donations," he said.
"We’ve raised €1.2m across the 13 years of doing it for cancer services.
"We rotate the 10% towards palliative care between Westmeath, Meath, and Cavan – every third year they would get it."
He encouraged those of all abilities to take part this year. "There’s a great buzz, it’s a great community event, and it’s great for the whole area of Meath, Westmeath, and Cavan," said Deputy Guirke.
"Two-thirds of the people participating don’t do the full 50 miles, though some would raise more money than people doing the entire distance.
"It’s more the taking part and raising the few bob that counts – we welcome people who might only do one mile or five miles."
Committee member Ann-Marie Grall said the whole community gets involved every year. "We have our own official food stops, where volunteers have helped by making sandwiches and we’d have lots of fruit, bars, cakes, and people would bake stuff for us," she said.
"At nearly every house, they have water, bars, everything like that left out for us, and a lot of them let us use their toilets too. It has fantastic support from everyone in the neighbourhood."
Ms Grall said cancer is a disease that has affected her family. "Both my brother and sister passed away from cancer," she said.
"I was also diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, so the cause is very close to my heart. I’m doing great not, thank God, but it really did affect me."
Paul Williams from Fore said he discovered the reality of the challenge when he first took part a number of years ago. "The first year I started I only got halfway," he said. I underestimated it and thought, ‘This is only walking, what training do I need?’ But I found out very quickly.
"I got to 25 miles the first year and that was the end of me, but I’ve completed it four times since and it’s a serious challenge every year."
Mr Williams said he too has been affected by cancer in recent years. "My sister died from cancer last year, and my cousin a couple of years ago, so it’s quite personal this year," he said.
"She would have gone through all the treatments and we would understand the value of what these cancer services provide.
"The challenge is a great idea and it’s for a good cause as we’re all affected by cancer – there isn’t a family in Ireland unaffected by it."
Mr Williams said the "camaraderie and community spirit" is what he prefers most about the Moylagh JFK 50 Mile Challenge.
"I’ve met some great people doing it over the years and the atmosphere is always great," he said.
"You could be walking on your own for an hour or two, meet someone and walk with them for an hour or so, chatting away, and then you go on further and meet someone else."
More information on how to take part or make a donation to the cause can be found at 50milechallenge.com.