MARATHON: Killarney Valley Athletic Club member Caitriona Shanahan is raising funds for Killarney Micro Track by participating in the London Marathon later this month. Also included are Killarney Micro Track campaigners Jerry Griffin and Brid Stack. Photo: Eamonn Keogh

By Sean Moriarty

A Beaufort-based community nurse will be amongst over 40,000 participants in this year’s world-famous London Marathon.

Catriona Shanahan is currently in the final preparations for the big event, which will take place on April 28. She was inspired to take part this year to help raise funds for the Killarney Micro Track, which is due to begin construction in June.

This is the Killarney Valley Athletic Club member’s second marathon having previously finished the 2010 Dublin marathon “at walking pace”.

On Sunday, she completed in her final 20-mile run on the country roads near her Beaufort home, before tapering off her distance training ahead of the big event at the end of the month.

“Training is going very well,” Catriona told the Killarney Advertiser.

“I am raising funds for the track as I can see it will be of benefit to everyone, adults and kids. I am a member of the Killarney Fit For Life Group and can see how this track will help everyone.”

The London Marathon is one of blue riband long-distance events on the calendar, alongside November’s New York Marathon. The race starts in Blackheath, near Greenwich and along the way she will pass such iconic locations as Tower Bridge, The London Eye and Big Ben, before finishing on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.