A Mayo man has successfully completed the mammoth achievement of undertaking a marathon - all from the comfort of his own home.
Setting up the entire course in his garden, Stephen Donnelly managed the challenge in just under nine hours, finishing up this evening.
Ballina resident Stephen Donnelly completed the full Ironman distance triathlon today at his home for the local meals on wheels and the Mayo General Hospital Covid-19 fund for patients and staff.
At around 7am the endurance athlete, who has competed in a number of ‘Ironman’ challenges over the years, began his 3.6 kilometre stationary swim while tethered to a swim band to keep him in position.
After that the test didn’t get any easier. Stephen hit the saddle for a 180.25 kilometre bicycle ride on his home trainer followed by a concluding marathon run (42.2 km) on his treadmill.
And he completed the entire thing in just eight hours and forty-nine minutes, taking to social media to thank followers for helping the cause.
The swim is the trickiest part of the challenge, says the 33-year-old who is a lifeguard and swimming teacher at Ballina swimming pool.
“I don’t have a pool at home but local firm Loftus Recycling have provided him with a brand new commercial sized, 10 foot long, skip which will do nicely.”
You can donate to a GoFundMe page, where donations can still be made in the coming days.
