Student raises £9,000 with 30 marathons in 30 days in memory of best friend

Mark McGuire is halfway through his challenge.

A Stirling University student has reached the halfway point of a challenge to run 30 marathons in 30 days in memory of his best friend.

Mark McGuire, 22, has raised over £8,500 for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which works to prevent sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research.

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He is running in memory of his best friend and fellow cyclist Ben Forsyth, who died in 2018 after a sudden cardiac event.

Mark McGuire has raised £8,500.Mark McGuire has raised £8,500.
Mark McGuire has raised £8,500.

A member of Edinburgh Road Club who had raced with Sir Chris Hoy, Edinburgh University geography student Ben was diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) in 2015 – a progressive and incurable disease of the heart muscles.

“I always wanted to do something for Ben but I never really knew what I wanted to do,” said Mark.

“CRY is obviously very personal to me, and I’ve known other people affected by it as well. I don’t think too many people know about CRY so I’m also trying to get the word out.”

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Mark has been running a marathon every day for over two weeks so far.Mark has been running a marathon every day for over two weeks so far.
Mark has been running a marathon every day for over two weeks so far.

The second-year sports science student at Stirling University said he is ‘not a runner’ and had not done much training for the month of marathons, but as a keen athlete and former full-time cyclist he is used to endurance challenges.

“I’ve had some low moments and some high moments. Every day is a challenge getting through the marathons,” he said.

“You have moments but the pain does eventually stop. It’s purely a mind battle getting through it. I’m sort of new to running but I’m hoping I can hack through it.”

Support from family and friends has kept Mark going, and family members have also sometimes joined to run or cycle alongside him during his runs around his home near Perth.

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Thoughts of his best friend also inspire him to keep running.

“I’ve always got him in my mind, that’s what will keep me going through it,” he said.

One of the friends supporting Mark is Keith Forsyth, Ben’s father.

He is hopeful that the money raised by Mark for Ben’s CRY memorial fund will cover the cost of one or two potentially life-saving screening days, during which up to 100 young people can be checked for underlying heart conditions.

“Mark is doing a great thing, and the fundraising he’s doing is really invaluable,” he said.

“It’s a monumental task – for anyone to run one marathon is hard but 30 in a row is mind-boggling.”

Mark McGuire’s fundraising page can be found here.

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