Kathryn & Tony - London Marathon - with a Ukulele!!

Hi, I'm Kathryn Walls and this is my awesome uncle, Tony McGourty!

We've both spent a lot of time in the past 15 years combining our love of running with a mission to give back.

Tony is a dedicated marathon runner with a passion for making a difference. He has completed 24 marathons in 15 years, raising thousands of pounds for charity. What's even more impressive, is that he's in his 70's and still running around a 4 hour pace!!!!!

I started running only after we lost my sister, Eithne, in the Air France plane crash in 2009 and have a more modest 6 marathons completed, also raising vital funds for charity over the years.

In April 2024 we are joining forces and running London Marathon together to raise money for two charities close to both our hearts. I'm also taking on the challenge of playing the ukulele (and singing) as we cover the distance - because just running isn't hard enough!! Let's hope Tony remembers his ear plugs ;)

Firstly, we want to raise money for Dementia NI - in honour of my mum and Tony's sister, Mary. Mum was an inspirational and dedicated teacher for all of her working life and her diagnosis with Primary Progressive Aphasia was a cruel blow to her and our family. Mum's courage in the face of an illness that slowly robbed her of the ability to communicate was truly incredible.

We are also raising funds for research into eye and ear disease in memory of my beloved sister Eithne who was an eye surgeon at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin. The first anniversary of the accident marked the day I first laced up running shoes to raise money in her memory, and I've not stopped since.

We are so grateful for any donations you can make to help us reach our target and support these amazing charities. Thank you for your generosity and encouragement. We hope to see you on the streets of London cheering us on!