Local Hero: From baby steps past 50 miles to raising €1million
The Moylagh JFK 50 Mile Challenge has certainly put the parish of Moylagh in North Meath on the map. It if wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of people like Mary Nolan however, it might never have known the light of day.
For Mary and her fellow committee members, it started in 2012 as a once-off cancer fundraising event. “A lot of people in our area had cancer and everybody knew somebody,” she says. “A few of us got together to organise some kind of a walk or a challenge and then we thought, well everyone is doing 5kms and 10kms so we thought let's be better than that and go for a bigger challenge and that's where we came up with the JFK 50 mile challenge.”
Mary explains that the JFK link comes from a challenge that was set for military officers in the US by the late president John F Kennedy in 1963 to walk 50 miles in under 20 hours in full military gear. This then lead to ordinary people from all over the US and beyond taking on the challenge and has now certainly become one that the people of Moylagh have emulated in style.
“You can come and just do your own challenge,” says Mary, “Two miles to one person is the same as say for me to try and do the 50. It’s all about raising money for cancer services in Ireland.”
Mary recalls making endless phonecalls at the start asking local people to come on board and join the committee. Next, they had to get the Irish Cancer Society onboard and then design a 50-mile route, which is kept off the main roads. “It's all through little back roads, all beautiful scenery that people otherwise probably would never see.”
Then it was sponsor cards design and promoting the event, which actually attracted 250 people in its first year raising €47,000, surpassing the €10,000 target that the inaugural committee had in mind. “It was never meant to be a continuous annual challenge, but it just took off from that.”
Mary is confident that this year’s 11th annual event will see the amount raised surpass the €1 million mark, which now stands at €977,550.
“It’s the best thing I ever did. I am so proud to be involved,” said Mary. “It’s all we talk about for 6 months of the year and it has got me involved with a lovely committee and we have made so many friends from around the country.”
Each year the first committee meeting for the walk is held in November or December with monthly meetings thereafter until 6 weeks before the big event when weekly meetings kick in. “Everybody kind of knows at this stage what they have done every year and they say leave it with me, I’ll do that.”
Mary hails from the townland of Loughbawn in the parish of Moylagh, where her mother Dympna Hand still lives, which is incidentally just a few short miles from the end line of the 50-mile challenge. Dympna is ever ready on walk day with freshly baked goods and drinks to help people along before they hit the final stretch of the challenge.
Mary’s husband Mattie is roped into marshalling on the day as there are people needed at all crossroads for safety. Mary has 3 grown-up sons.
Shane lives just four miles from her while oldest and youngest sons Mark and Luke live in Australia. Mary has two grandchildren who live nearby and four step-grandchildren in Australia.
Three of her sisters who live locally are involved on the day walking and helping with food along the route. “The whole community along the 50 miles get involved. You don’t have to ask anymore, people automatically put out drinks, fruit, sweets. Some people will just be sitting outside to have a chat with people going by or say go on in and use the bathroom.”
The walk is planned for 11th June 2022 and the launch walk is happening in February. “Only for the community, we wouldn’t be able to have it,” she says with over 100 people helping out on the day, which starts at 5am.
“It is not a race, it’s a challenge. The last person to cross the line is celebrated as much if not more than the first,” which increases its appeal to people of all ages and ability.
Mary herself is one of just 6 people that has done all of the 10 yearly challenges, with many more up her sleeve.
“I will keep going as long as I am able to walk,” she says with her usual energy and enthusiasm.