Charity runner scales new heights

Friday 06 March 2015

It takes most climbers six days to scale it but one Islander has run up and down Africa’s highest mountain in just under 24 hours!

Harry McAlinden has run marathons and ultra marathons over the years to help his childhood friend and other Islanders living with brain injuries but sprinting up and down Mount Kilimanjaro was his most physically demanding yet and he managed to do it in just 18hrs 30mins, five and a half hours quicker than expected.

The 56 year-old had ten days of intensive training in Tanzania last month ahead of his big run, with Simon Mtuy – the man who holds the world record for running up and down the mountain the fastest.

He had to put in runs of up to 35K to make sure he was fully prepared to cope with being 3,000 metres above sea level and said the training itself was a massive challenge that left him completely exhausted at the end of each day.

Eight days into his training he thought he’d have to give up altogether after struggling with altitude sickness but he was back on his feet within 24 hours, making massive strides to raise over £4,000 for Headway Jersey.

Harry said: “This challenge really was epic, but I feel blessed and lucky that I am able to do things like this and help raise funds for a charity so close to my heart.”

Harry met up with his old friend Frank MacFarlane back in 2010 when he was running the London Marathon and has been a supporter and volunteer for the local charity ever since, completing the West Highland Way and several other marathons.

Harry's fundraising efforts will go towards weekly exercise classes for the charity's members to help with their rehabilitation and to help increase their mobility.

The charity arranges weekly swimming sessions at Aquasplash and has recently introduced walking groups to encourage members to become more active.