Record breakers!

TWO ambitious Southsiders have helped to rewrite the record books by successfully completing this year’s Oxfam Trailtrekker in record-breaking time.

Niamh Flattery, from Dundrum, and Brendan Sheehan, from Terenure, walked non-stop through the Mourne Mountains, the Ring of Guillion and the Cooley Peninsula for seven hours and 48 minutes, smashing last year’s record of 10 hours and 36 minutes.

The pair joined over 298 participants who trekked 50km or 100km from Newcastle, Co Down to Carlingford, Co Louth to raise vital funds for people affected by poverty throughout the world.

Speaking after the event, Ms Flattery said the trek was a great way to raise awareness and much-needed funds for Oxfam.

“We decided at our Christmas party that we would do something together for charity and 12 of us have been training together to prepare for Trailtrekker,

? she said.

“As a group we have raised

?¬10,000 for Oxfam, thanks to the support of our colleagues, family and friends.

?

Echoing Ms Flaherty’s joy at raising the funds, Mr Sheehan said the team are absolutely delighted with the result.

“The 50km event is an achievable goal for anybody with the right training, along with a support team like ours who provided us with brilliant motivation throughout. It was great to get people together through work and raise funds for Oxfam.

?

The first 100km team to cross the line was the

‘Oxfam Strollers’ with a time of 16 hours and 16 minutes.

The team came second in the 100km event in 2011 and were also that year’s fastest mixed team.

This is the fourth year that the endurance event has taken place.

Trailtrekker is part of a growing worldwide phenomenon of 15 events in 12 different countries.

It has been estimated that 2.2 million kilometres will be walked this year as a result of 22,000 people taking part in the events worldwide.