Fingal Sports Office Launches MarathonFamilies 2020

Six years ago, Fingal County Council and MarathonKids Ireland worked together to develop the MarathonKids programme which last year saw 3,300 primary school children in Fingal run a marathon (42Km) in school over an 8-week period. As we find ourselves in these unprecedented times, we are adapting the programme to suit the lives we are living, and the restrictions placed on us. MarathonKids is becoming MarathonFamiles and can be completed within a 5km radius of home beginning Monday May 11th. .

Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Eoghan O’Brien said “I’d like to commend the Sports Office for all the work they do to promote Sport in the county. Fingal County Council strives to be innovative and at the forefront of Sports Development and this programme is a testament to that. I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge MarathonKids Ireland for supporting and assisting our Sports Office in developing this programme which I hope many families will benefit from.”

The MarathonFamilies programme aims to encourage families to run together and take this opportunity to challenge your whole family to complete a Marathon together, whether that is all of you doing a marathon each or doing one as a group.

Under the government guidelines it’s important individuals remain within a 5km radius of their home and although participants will run 42km to complete a marathon the max distance anyone will have to run in any single day is 2.7km. 

MarathonFamilies can be completed in 4 ways:

7 Days a week - walking/jogging shorter distances over 8 weeks (Beginners and/or young children)                                        

5 Days a week - medium length distances over 8 weeks (somewhat active/history of regular training)                                                  

3 Days a week - medium to long distances over 8 weeks (active and training regularly)

Express Programme – If your time is limited or you have small children reward everyone’s efforts by doing a cumulative version amongst your family to suit your family’s needs.

Margaret Geraghty, Director of Housing & Community, ‘MarathonKids is something we look forward to every year and is one of the highlights of our events calendar.  I welcome the commitment of our sports team to come up with a new idea this year so that families can participate in this event.  I hope many families register to take part and that a fun time is had by all as we continue to observe public health guidelines to stay safe and well’

Fingal County Council’s Sports & Education Officer, Stephen Mc Ginn said “I’m a massive fan of the MarathonKids programme and it’s something that could be in every school in the country. I’d love to see families all over Fingal and indeed Ireland sign up to MarathonFamilies as it’s always easier to exercise together rather than on your own. It’s great to have a European Indoor Champion in David Gillick on board supporting the new variation of the MarathonKids programme as someone of the stature of David Gillick will only help to highlight the benefits of getting people more active and involved in physical activity.”

To sign up to the programme go to: https://learning.fingal.ie  and go to the ‘Be Active at Home’ section