Photo Credit: Alan Cowzer (http://www.cowzer.com/athletics/)

Many athletics fans in Ireland will easily recognise the name Lezan Kimutai. Lezan has been a frequent visitor to Ireland over the last decade and his competitive record is impressive. In 2003 Lezan won the Belfast Marathon and he also went on to win the Dublin City Marathon in 2004, in a then course record time of 2:13:08. The popular Kenyan has also won the Connemara Half-Marathon in 2005 and 2008. In 2008 he ran as an honorary Athenry AC member in the Dublin City Marathon, proudly displaying the Maroon and White Colours of the West of Ireland Club.

Lezan is scheduled to defend his Connemara Half Marathon title next month and has asked if Irish runners might like to assist some young runners that he is coaching back home in Kenya. Lezan has asked that runners might donate their used running shoes to be re-used by his aspiring athletes in Africa. He coaches a small group of talented young men and women who are trying to build a professional athletics career. Irish runners can help these young Kenyan’s along their way by donating any used running shoes that are no longer suitable for use on Irish roads. As many young African athletes train on dirt roads, running shoes that may no longer withstand Irish tarmac will last for many more miles in Kenyan conditions. Such a donation would mean a tremendous amount to these young athletes.

What to do?

If you have a pair of used running shoes that you would like to donate to these young African runners, please bring them along to this year’s Connemara Marathon number pick-up areas where there will be a drop-off location for collecting shoes.

The pick-up arrangements are as follows:

Galway

(Venue to be confirmed)

Between 5pm and 8pm on Friday March 20th and between 10am and 7pm on Saturday March 21st

and in

Clifden

(Clifden Station House Hotel)

between 5.30pm and 8pm on Saturday March 21st.

Shoes will be acceptable in good condition, whether clean or otherwise, but if you have a chance to run them through a gentle wash beforehand so much the better. If you are able to wash your shoes before bringing them along it’s best to remove the insoles before doing so. Before dropping them off just tie the laces together so that they don't get separated.

If you’re not going along to the Connemarathon this year you can bring them along to any of the Athenry AC Saturday training sessions or you can post them to the Connemara Marathon Ltd, C/O Proactive Marketing Ltd, Unit 3, Liosbaun Business Park, Galway.