Michael’s journey: 12 marathons in 12 months

Posted on 21 May, 2019

Last November, we spoke with runner Michael Quinn.

You may remember that Michael had decided to challenge himself to run 12 marathons in 12 months to raise money for Canberra charity Raize the Roof, which supports the SOS Children Villages in Botswana and the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

So, how did he go?

Well, Michael is understandably chuffed to report that as of 25 April, Michael completed his twelfth and final race. With six marathons and six ultramarathons under his belt, Michael has run over 552 kilometres with over $2500 raised for Raize the Roof.

“The challenge was tough but when you are doing it for such a great cause it motivates you and is the only reason you keep going,” he says of the experience.

As one might expect, this has been no small commitment. In the weeks leading up to each event, Michael navigated the fine balance of a perfect sleep routine, strict eating regime and daily training sessions.

With no races held in Australia late last year, Michael flew home to Ireland at the last minute to compete in his hometown of Dublin’s annual marathon, surprising his parents along the way.

He remembers that as he had been celebrating with his family and was thoroughly jet-lagged, he was not fully prepared for the challenge ahead.

The night before the marathon Michael struggled with his lack of preparation. Arriving earlier than usual and starting off hard with the professional runners he says he was quick to fatigue during the race.

With voices in his head nagging him to quit, he stopped running and with nothing left to give, prepared to leave. But as he was doing so, Michael saw a small Irish man climb over the fence with his walking stick.

Whacking him on the rear with the stick and yelling “keep running you tough f***, keep going!” he chased Michael down the road. Not only did this motivate Michael to keep running and cross the finish line – he left with a personal best.

This completion against the odds was just one of many achievements and battles Michael overcame during the year.

On New Year’s Eve 2019 he completed his eighth marathon in Victoria, running with blistered feet over the You Yang Mountains in the scorching heat. For the first time during his marathon career, Michael crossed the finish line in first place, winning by 30 minutes.

Having never thought he could actually win a marathon, Michael was taken aback.

“I knew I had two kilometres to go. I told myself you have this, you have this,” he reflects. “You are going to win your first race, what a way to finish off the year winning a marathon. I am doing what I believed was undoable. I am going to win.”

When his mother took ill and was placed into intensive care, Michael flew home to be by her side. Over time she progressively recovered and Michael returned home to complete the second-last marathon of his challenge with her support.

Having not run for weeks, Michael was severely unprepared for his next race, which would take him to the top of Mount Kosciusko. But he wasn’t alone.

From her hospital bed in Ireland, Michael’s mum stayed by his side, FaceTime-ing him throughout the race.

“One kilometre we smiled and laughed, the next I cried. It was an emotional rollercoaster. It was the toughest day,” says Michael. Together they crossed the finish line, completing marathon number 11.

Michael’s final marathon was just last month, on ANZAC Day in St Ives, Sydney. Michael might have done what he thought had been impossible and successfully completed his year of marathons, but he’s not finished.

Just last week he completed the 50km Ultra Trail Australia and from here he’ll be training for the 2020 Ultra Iron Man, comprising of a 10km swim, 421km bike ride and 84km double marathon run.

Michael started running only two years ago and in that time has achieved an almost impossible challenge by anyone’s standards. His story is not only one of physical elitism and strength but also an incredible journey of willpower, determination and generosity.

Michael’s GoFundMe page is open for donations here.