A DOCTOR from Ravensdale who is living and working in Wales is returning home to run his 100th marathon in honour of his late wife and grandnephew.
61-year old Dr Sean McCormack is a GP who attended De La Salle Secondary School before studying medicine at UCD.
“I moved to Wales in 1991 for a job. Initially, I was only supposed to stay for 12 months but I’ve ended up staying,” said Sean.
“I love Wales. I’m in a rural area close to Snowdon. I love the outdoors. I met my wife, Majella, when I was 18-years-old when we were both working in the Ballymac.
“She was from Camlough in Armagh and moved over to Wales with me. We have two boys, Shane and Steven.”
Sean’s marathon career began in 1998 when he was persuaded by a friend to run the Dublin City Marathon in aid of the RNLI. He took to it like a duck to water clocking a very impressive 3 hours and 1 minute. A year later he ran his best ever time again at the Dublin City marathon stopping the clock at 2:48:38. He has also represented Wales at international level in ultra running.
Sean added: “In 1998 I took up running and since then I’ve completed 99 marathons. I’m coming back to Ireland to do my 100th marathon on Saturday next,” explained Sean.
Sean’s passion for running was reignited in 2018 a year after his great nephew Hari sadly died from meningitis. Sean and a number of other runners including Hari’s Dad Aled ran the Dublin City marathon in his memory. Sadly his wife Majella passed away after a long illness in 2021 and every marathon he has done since has been to honour the memory of both his wife and grandnephew.
Last year Sean ran the distance from Hari’s grave in Kentstown to Majella’s grave in Inniskeen which is just over the length of a marathon. And this year for his 100th marathon he will do the same again to honour two very special people in his life.
“My wife died in November 2021 and is buried in Inniskeen. I plan to run 33 miles on Saturday.
“I’m running from the graveyard in Kentstown, Co Meath where my great nephew, Hari, is buried, to the graveyard in Inniskeen where my wife is buried.”
He added: “Hari, my great nephew, sadly died in 2017 from meningitis when he was just two-years-old. This would have been the weekend of his 9th birthday. My beautiful wife Majella died on 26th November 2021 after 13 years of illness. Our grandnephew Hari, from the first time we met him, only a few days old, held a special place in Majella’s heart. After he passed Majella felt very strongly that he protected her and gave her great comfort in her times of hardship. In return she was always very keen to fundraise in his honour for Temple Street. I am continuing Majella’s wishes and running with our son Steven in memory of Majella for Hari.
All proceeds raised by Sean will go to the Children’s Health Foundation in Temple Street. If you want to support Sean you can donate via the following link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MMMforH
