A man from York is preparing for his latest challenge – running a marathon every month for a year.
Jack McGuiness ran his first marathon six months ago in Manchester and decided to keep going.
The 31-year-old has already completed three more marathons this year, including the Yorkshire Marathon in York.
And next year he will push his body even further.
Jack starts his challenge with the Liverbird marathon in Liverpool on New Year’s Day.
“I think it’s going to be a very quiet New Year’s Eve,” Jack told The Press.
Afterwards he will take on an official marathons each month, including the Edinburgh Marathon, Great Welsh Marathon and Charles Darwin marathon in Shrewsbury.
“Some people told me, ‘That’s nut’s, why do that?’ But that made me want to do it more,” Jack said.
He has decided to raise funds for the RSCPA through the challenge.
Jack said he picked the charity after a colleague rehomed a dog with the RSPCA and one of his running routes kept taking him past the charity’s branch in Landing Lane, off Water End
“It just felt like there was a lot of things happening which helped me make the decision – it was the one for me,” he explained.
Jack lived in York for seven years and is currently living with his family in Thirsk, where he grew up.
He explained how his family had two Border Collies – one died during lockdown and the other – 13-year-old Meg – is still alive. Jack hailed her as the “unofficial mascot” of the challenge.
While the dogs were not rescue animals, Jack said the care his family gave them showed him how important it was for pets to be well looked after.
“They were the daughters my mother never had,” he joked.
The RSPCA has said this year the number of animals being abandoned in North Yorkshire has soared to a three-year high and rescue centres in the county are “full to bursting”.
Jack said he was keen to help and aims to raise £10,000 for the charity.
“It’s a real shame that people can’t give the animals the care they need,” he said.
“Some people just can’t afford to do it.”
'I was always in the lowest PE set at school'
Despite now being a keen runner, Jack said he has not always been active.
“I was always in the lowest PE set at school,” he said.
He joined the Knavesmire Harriers running club six months before the Manchester Marathon which encouraged him into the sport.
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Jack, who works as a studio photographer in Easingwold, is underway with training for next year’s task.
This involves running 30 miles each week on cross country tracks and roads to prepare for each of the routes.
To donate to Jack’s challenge visit his JustGiving Page titled: 12 in 12 for the RSPCA.
You can keep up with Jack’s progress via his Instagram page (@jack12in12).
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