Mayo man set to undertake mammoth physical challenge for charity

Who doesn’t love a challenge? Well one man from West Mayo is certainly taking on a massive one as Basil Mc Leod is set to undertake a huge challenge as he will attempt to complete four marathons in four different countries while completing them in a period of just five days.

The 24 year old who is the captain of Louisburgh Men's Gaelic team will be completing the marathons in aid of his chosen charity, mental health Ireland. 

Starting off in Edinburgh on Tuesday, the 10th of June, the 24 year old will run 42km before travelling to the Welsh capital, Cardiff. Another 42km in the legs, from there Mc Leod will travel to London as he’ll have his sights on yet another marathon trip. On completion of the run in London, Basil will be taking a recovery day which will be much appreciated as the young man will have clocked up over 120km in the legs over a period of three days.

On Saturday, the 14th of June, following arrival in Mayo, Mc Leod will head to Westport where the final leg of his admirable challenge will start. The former Mayo Gaa underage player will then aim for home as he can look forward to his home town in Louisburgh where it all finishes. 

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Having taken in some scenic areas on the journey, the final leg from Westport to Louisburgh is right up there as Mc Leod aims to finish in his hometown of Louisburgh.

Speaking to The Mayo News, Basil stated “I’m excited to get going with it all, the support I've got since telling people about it has given me an extra little drive. I’m sure I'll have physical struggles at times but I'm confident in my head about completing it one way or another. 

When asked Why this? “Mc Leod said “Maybe I’ve lost the plot but I often have ideas and challenges like this in my head and never act on them. I enjoy listening to podcasts such as Russ Cooke (hardest geezer) who was the first man to run the length of Africa while he has recently finished running the length of New Zealand. So he’s definitely given me some inspiration to do it. 

McLeod continued to explain “When I decided to do this challenge, I thought it would be a great opportunity to use it to raise awareness and funds for a good cause and I thought mental health Ireland would be very fitting. They empower and promote health in Ireland and I believe the use of exercise and sharing your thoughts with others is one of the best ways to do this”

You can check out all updates in the lead up and during the challenge on Basil’s designated Instagram page: Miles4themind. 

People can also donate here with all donations greatly appreciated.

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