Finishing seven marathon challenge 'emotional'

A Peel runner who completed seven marathons in a week raising £3,700 for the RNLI said he felt a sense of "jubilation" on finishing the feat.

Geoff Rice ran a marathon each day between 17 and 23 May, racking up an overall distance of 183 miles (295km) and a combined elevation of 35,000 feet (10,668 metres).

Completing the challenge in a total of 39 hours, with an average time of five and a half hours for each, which comprised five laps of Peel Hill ending at Peel Lifeboat Station.

The 57-year-old gardener said completing the last marathon was "very emotional".

With about 100 people cheering him on at the end, Geoff said: "As I was running down the hill I could see quite a few people gathering at the bottom, it was very emotional and just a good feeling to get it done."

"The weather was not on my side as it was hot [and] I think the heat got to me."

But he said aside from that, and picking up blisters on the third day, the week went "smoothly".

He said he knew that physically and mentally he was strong enough as "a lot of it was down to discipline and keeping to the game plan".

In the last few days of the challenge, about 20 people ran alongside him for portions of the course, which he said was a great help.

"You needed the support, there were a lot of times where I wish I had someone to talk to as the sheep weren't saying much," he said.

He said while it was "difficult to comprehend" the distance that he had run, he was "absolutely buzzing" and "still on cloud nine now".

Having chosen to raise money for the RNLI he said he wanted to "put something back into the community".

"I respect what the lifeboats have done," he added.

RNLI community manager for the Isle of Man Dani Beckett said it was an "incredible achievement" and an "epic fundraising challenge".

It was "inspiring that people believe in our mission and come up with such creative, and challenging ways to raise the vital funds we need to continue our work", she said.

Chairman of Peel Lifeboat Station Stuart Blackley, who cheered Geoff on each day, said the funds would go towards safety equipment for the western branch of the RNLI.

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