Running legend Mark is ‘Last Standing’ again 

EVERYBODY loves a good motivational story and they don’t come more epic than one local man’s feats of endurance.

Just when you think he will never top his previous best, Mark Conlon goes even faster and farther!

Clondalkin native Mark has only gone and won the Last Person Standing competition…again!

The ultra-challenging competition, which is organised by Race Director for East of Ireland Marathons Gary Reinhardt, tests runners to the absolute limits of their endurance.

Back in December Mark emerged victorious in the previous Last Man Standing, running 1,500km in 66 days to raise money to convert the family home of Freya Doyle, a little girl from Donaghmede with a rare form of epilepsy.

Mark has completed over 200 marathon feats for charities over the years however he thinks this was his hardest challenge yet.

Mark receives his ‘Last Person Standing’ trophy from Race Director for East of Ireland Marathons, Gary Reinhardt

This time round he was running to raise money for Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin which provides accommodation and a caring and supportive environment for families whose children are hospitalised or undergoing medical treatment at Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

“We began the Last Man Standing event back on January 10 with 50 competitors running between 8 and 10km a day,” Mark tells Southside People.

“The second week it was up to 15/20km before moving on to half and full marathons in the third week.

“We would run 10km, then take a half an hour break before doing another 10km followed by another half hour break.”

“All the runs are timed and if any competitors don’t make the cut-off times they are knocked out of the competition.

“Once we got down to just 15 competitors the challenges got even tougher with 12-hour challenges starting at seven o’clock in the morning running 32km.

“We would do a total of 74km each day and you had to show that you were out at the exact same times.”

Following 89 days of stomach crunching, back breaking and leg shaking running, there were just four competitors left to battle it out.

“Gary decided to do a final between the four left, the two girls, Sherry Berry and Laura Bennett dropped out after 12 hours but were amazing to do so well.

“Saturday, April 10 was the day of the Grand Finale and the challenge was we had to run 7km on the hour, every hour until there was only one left,” Mark says.

“We started at 7am and we had to run 7k on the hour every hour and log our time.
“Because of the lockdown restrictions I ran around Corkagh Park during the day and Clondalkin village at night.

“I set up base in my friend Karen Shine’s house and she kept me going by making me pizza from 7am to 7pm.

“It was extremely tough and once it got dark it became really frosty and cold.

“At this stage your body wants to give up but I just kept saying to myself ‘one more lap,’
“That’s all I kept saying to myself over and over. I actually don’t know how I kept going to be honest.

“Eventually I finished up at 7am the next morning. It was an unreal experience to complete the challenge at 7 on a Sunday morning!

“Frank McDermott came second running 100 miles in 23 hours, so that meant I took the title, with 104 miles in 24 hours.”

Mark hopes his win will publicise the great work done by Operations Manager Sharon Keogh and the team at Ronald McDonald House.

“Their motto is: ‘The hospital looks after the sick child , we look after the families’, Mark says.

“If any of your readers would like to donate then can go to https://rmhc.ie/donate-make-a-payment/ and I’d grateful if you could leave a message citing Mark’s win or Last Person Standing.”