Athlone's Jimmy set to run his fiftieth marathon

Athlone's Jimmy Nugent is to run his 50th marathon on Monday when he participates in the Dublin City Marathon with running partner Denis McMonagle, who will be running his 52nd marathon. Jimmy started running in 2002 in a bid to lose weight and after bumping into Denis while he was also out running a partnership was formed and the two have been running marathons since to raise money for local charities. They have run marathons all over the world and next year hope to compete in the Chicago Marathon. Jimmy had initially planned to run his 50th marathon to coincide with his 50th birthday next year and was considering making the Sydney Marathon 2010 his 50th marathon. However, this week he explained the duo took on extra marathons this year and Monday's Dublin City Marathon will be his 16th marathon this year. This has put him ahead of schedule and he now hopes to have competed in 100 marathons by the end of 2012. He estimates the two have raised in the region of €100,000 for local charities through their marathon running to date, mainly for the Athlone branch of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, St Vincent's Hospital, the Special Care Baby Unit in Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe, Dóchas, the OWLS and other local charities. On Monday the two are running the marathon in aid of the OWLS Christmas party. He said this week: "As long as we're able to do it, we'll continue doing it."