Marathon run for a cause

By Kate Taylor

Two local redheads have raised $9,000 for the Cancer Council after an epic 150-km run.
On Saturday 18 January Amy and Kelly Conroy (Redheads Running for a Cause campaign) ran from Ballarat to Ballan and back to Dunnstown, taking back roads, to raise funds for the Cancer Council in memory of their uncle and former Moorabool councillor, Pat Toohey who passed away last year.
Amy ran 50kms, then cycled part of the way, re-joining her sister Kelly to run the last 10kms, with Kelly having run a total of 100kms of the route.
After the massive effort, Amy pulled up surprisingly well.
“I was a bit sore at night, but I got in the water the next day and I was okay,’ Amy told the Moorabool News.
It was a 14-hour run, that started at 4.30am – but the girls were not in it alone.
“We were overwhelmed by the support. We had our six-year-old cousin running some of the way, and there were people on horses, and some people ended up running half-marathons.”
And heading into Dunnstown, the girls were a spectacular sight.
‘We had about 30 people behind us, it was great. It was so good to chat to them to keep my mind off the running and the pain.”
Donations are still being taken, to bump that $9,000 tally up as high as it can go.
“We’d like to thank all the local businesses in Ballan, and also mum and dad – they followed us the entire way in the car.”
Donations can still be made, up until early February, through the facebook page ‘Redheads Running for a Cause’ or through the Commonwealth Bank using the BSB 063824 and account number 10123173. 100 per cent of funds raised go to the Cancer Council as there are no admin costs.