Strabane couple go the extra mile(s) for local charities

A STRABANE couple, often spotted pounding the pavements at the weekends, are turning their passion for running into a meaningful fundraising effort for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Berni and James Campbell began their journey back in April, starting with the Omagh Half Marathon. Since then, they’ve completed the Strabane-Lifford Half Marathon and, most recently, the Holy Cross Park Run. Still to come this year are the Donegal, Derry Waterside, and Belfast half marathons which are all part of their ongoing campaign to raise money for a cause close to their hearts.

Speaking after completing the Holy Cross Park Run, Berni said, “We run every weekend and James is usually running with an Alzheimer’s Society T-shirt on. The charity is important to him because of his aunt Jessie Fletcher who suffered from Alzheimer’s, so that’s why we chose it this year.”

Although both are seasoned runners, the pace of the schedule has presented challenges.

“We’re used to running but that’s not to say it’s all plain sailing. Doing the half marathons hasn’t been so bad but doing two of them and a park run in such a short space of time isn’t easy. The Donegal Half Marathon isn’t until August so we’ve a bit of time to recuperate before then but there’s two weeks between the Derry Waterside and Belfast runs so we don’t have much time to recover then. On top of that, we’re doing a trail marathon in Tollymore in November so it’s all go!”

The fundraising initiative was organised by Eugene Timoney, who initially set the target at £250. However, thanks to growing interest and generous support both online and in person, the goal was soon increased to £1,000. As of Monday, the online total stands at £1,183.50, not including a generous £300 donation from Strabane Credit Union and £207 raised from the Park Run. The JustGiving page will remain open until the final event – the Tollymore Trail Marathon in November.

Anyone wishing to support the cause can donate by visiting www.justgiving.com and searching for ‘James Campbell’.