BOBBY COMPLETES 160km RUN AT KILCULLEN GAA

Shortly after 10.30 this morning, Bobby Molloy completed his task of running 160km around the Kilcullen GAA community walkway in 24 hours, writes Brian Byrne. His total distance after 24 laps was 160.8km.

He was cheered in by a large crowd of Kilcullen GAA members as well as several hundred participants in the presentations on the final day of the Kilcullen GAA Junior Academy. Earlier, many Kilcullen members of all ages had run with him on his final laps.

Through the night, the coldest of the year so far with frost and fog to contend with, club members and friends had taken turns to keep him company in the lonely hours. "It was great to have them," he told the Diary. "I hadn't expected so many to come out."

Surprisingly fresh after completing almost four marathon distances in the 24 hours, Bobby had picked up a minor injury during the night. "I tried running in the opposite direction to see if that would help, but it didn't."

Yesterday, from his starting time at 11am, pupils from Scoil Bhride took turns to come and cheer him on, and to run a lap or two with him.

Sponsorship cards had been circulated to the school and to the children in the Junior Academy, but the club said they had deliberately kept sponsorship on a low key because there were so many other fundraising events happening around this time. The funds raised will go towards the running cost of lighting the community walkway.

It's understood that the event may become an annual one, on a larger scale in coming years.

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