Belturbet musician to run 100km in 20 days

A Belturbet musician has swapped stage swagger for running shoes and a good cause, hoping to run 100 kilometres in just 20 days to raise money for Cavan/Monaghan Palliative Care Group.

Deciding to put his free time during lockdown to something worthwhile, Shane Reynolds started out running on average five kilometres each day on January 25, with the aim of finishing the feat with an hour-long Facebook live gig at 8pm on Saturday, February 13.

“It may not seem much but it is when you're not fit,” laughs Shane, who has been tracking his running progress on the Strava mobile app.

So successful has the appeal being to date that the affable Shane, who works at Boyle for Men in Cavan Town, has had to scale-up his funding target several times.

At present Shane has managed to raise €2,680, outstripping the goal amount of €1,500.

He's overwhelmed by the generosity of people and thanks them for their kindness.

“It's been unbelievable. The initial goal was just €300 and I managed to raise €1,000 after only the first day. So I bumped it up again to about €1,000, and then had to bump it up again. People have been very good, it's unreal!”

The task facing Shane is made all the more difficult at times, depending on the route he chooses, due to the steep hills that surround the town of Belturbet.

“You wouldn't think it, especially when you're driving through the town you don't even realise maybe, but you definitely know all about when when the legs start burning half way up them,” says Shane, who spoke to the Celt on Day 10 of his challenge and had, by then, around 54 kilometres clocked up.

For Shane, who is a well-known personality on the local music scene, having fronted several bands over the year, this running challenge is not his usual forte, and he admits to finding it “tough going”.

“I didn't factor in a rest day, which looking back might have been a help. I'm not as young as I use to be either,” laughs Shane again. “You think it's all great in your head, until like now, 10 days in, you begin to realise how tough it is on the body to be doing 5km every day.

“The weather hasn't been on my side either, so I usually stick to a route around the town. I was going around Turbet Island but it's flooded now. I took into the running only last June, after the lockdown then, so it's all new to me but I'm enjoying myself, getting out, getting fit and staying healthy.”

Shane chose Cavan/Monaghan Palliative Care Group as his beneficiary for personal reasons. He says that the charity have been there for members of his family when they needed them most.

“They're a great charity and we've been in contact with them over the years, so when I took into this I knew immediately which charity I'd do it for because I definitely wanted to give something back.”