“It’s an amazing thing,” says Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary, one of the celebrities taking part in the challenge. “It’s also an insane thing. I’ll be doing a half-marathon in Dublin and a half in Mullingar, so my marathon is spread across two days, which is about the only way I could do one. I’m in training already with regular pints, regular cigarettes and copious amounts of sex.”

Insane it may be – but Gerry Duffy (41) and Ken Whitelaw (30), both from Mullingar, are marathon/triathlon/Ironman vets, so extreme tests of endurance are nothing new to them. Last year Duffy completed a double Ironman – comprising a 5-mile swim, 224-mile cycle and two marathons, all back-to-back – in under 29 hours. However, the ‘32 Marathons’ is the most daunting sporting challenge he and Ken have ever faced.
“There aren’t too many options to do something this crazy in the world,” says Whitelaw. “But succeeding in the triathlon made me realize how hugely capable the body really is. It’s a fantastic machine – with six to eight months training, you’d be amazed at what it’s able to do.”
Duffy admits to feeling “intimidated” by the 32 Marathon Challenge when they first started planning it with the IAA a year ago. “But I’m kind of gone past that stage,” he says. “We’ve set ourselves ‘exam papers’ along the way – with Ironman and that kind of stuff – but with the proper training, nutrition and rest, and a very set routine in terms of physio and proper eating habits throughout, we’re feeling pretty confident now.
“Our training programme has been put together by a professional ultra-distance runner,” he adds, “a guy that runs 50 miles twice a week, Richard Donovan. He’s from Galway, and he’s the current world record holder for running seven marathons in seven continents in six days. To give you an idea of the circles he’s mixing in, the previous world record holder, whose record he beat, was Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
“Richard has done huge endurance events before, including the North Pole marathon. It’s an event that only about 30 people compete in every year, but they literally fly them to the North Pole where they run a marathon in minus 40 degrees.”
Pacing, mental attitude, and a 15-minute soak from the waist down in baths of ice after each marathon are crucial factors in getting Whitelaw and Duffy through the grueling 32 days in July and August. But another key factor is that they won’t be running on their own. They’re calling for volunteers to run alongside them every step of the way by committing to either a full or a half-marathon. In the process, runners will help raise urgently needed funds for people with autism. Aside from athletes, a host of other volunteers are required to help co-ordinate this massive nationwide undertaking, during which the craic is sure to be 90.
“We’ve found that 90 per cent of people who’ve already signed up are first-time marathon runners, which is just fantastic,” enthuses Duffy. “You don’t need to be super-fit to do it, though we obviously recommend that people get their doctor’s advice on whether they’re able for it. But with the proper training and the proper attitude in the four months before the event, it’s achievable for almost anybody.”
“That’s another great side-effect of all this,” adds Whitelaw. “To get people donning a pair of runners, that haven’t run in years, or never before, to run a half or a full marathon with us. If we can get a thousand people signed up, that’s a thousand people a hell of a lot fitter than they are now. And a lot of money raised for an incredibly worthwhile cause.”
Duffy has the last word. “The challenge that we’re undertaking – and we mean this sincerely – is nothing compared to the challenge faced by people with autism in Ireland and their families,” he says. “That’s the reality of the situation. If we’re fortunate enough to take just one child off a waiting list with the money we raise, it’ll be a great legacy to leave behind us.”