Leodhais Macpherson is running 128 marathons from Newcastle’s distance to New York to honour his late brother, Conor.
Leodhais, 24, aims to run 3,332 miles, a distance equaling Newcastle to New York. He wants to finish by June 2nd, his brother Conor’s 28th birthday. They grew up in Tynemouth together.
Conor sadly took his own life in 2018 at only 21 years old. The RNLI searched for him with three lifeboats and two helicopters. Coastguard teams also searched on land for over four hours, but Conor was never found.
Leodhais, an environmental co-ordinator for EDF Energy, always wanted to honor Conor. The marathon idea came to him in September, and he told ChronicleLive about his plan.
Leodhais said Conor hid his mental health struggles, and no one could tell he was suffering. Before he died, Conor loved New York, visiting about seven times and wanting to live and work there. He studied computer science.
Leodhais chose New York as a goal because the marathon distance matches. Starting January 25th makes the final date special as it falls on Conor’s birthday. These details give his run deep meaning.
The money will support two charities: the RNLI and If U Care Share, organizations that helped the Macpherson family after Conor’s death. Leodhais is now on day 13 of his run, and his family worried initially about his health.
At first, his family thought he was crazy, but now they support him fully. His mom calls him with encouraging words, and his dad, a runner himself, understands the challenge and supports Leodhais all the way.
Leodhais has always enjoyed running, yet he still needed to prepare. His daily marathons take hours to complete with weekdays involving morning and evening runs lasting about four and a half hours.
The first week went well for Leodhais, but it is getting harder. He has spoken with other runners who warned him about the second week, and he hopes it will get better soon.
The local community gives him great support. He has raised over £7,000 already towards his £10,000 goal. People join him on runs often, and businesses offer massages to help him.
Leodhais reports it feels amazing as people cheer him on during runs, offering encouragement and support. He is blown away by the community’s generosity.
People join him on shorter runs often, staying around North Tyneside. He enjoys the company he has while running along the coast and making routes up as he goes.
The Tynemouth RNLI admires his challenge. James Waters, who searched for Conor in 2018, remembers difficult conditions that day with waves bigger than their boat. They tried their best but could not find him, and James admires Leodhais’s challenge.
If U Care Share also praised Leodhais, calling his efforts superhuman. They are amazed by his resilience, and they say he raises money, awareness, and will save lives and prevent suicide.