Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon: Uncovering stories behind the runners

Every marathon runner has a back story — a personal goal, a special intention, a charity or cause that’s close to their heart. At this year’s Irish Examiner Cork City Marathon there was no shortage of driven individuals eager to share their reasons for running.

“We’re here to show people there can be life after cancer”, said Co Tipperary man Liam Ryan, part of a relay group called The C-Team. All members — Liam Ryan and Ned O’Brien from Tipperary with John Quigley, Noel O’Connor, and Sean Twomey from Cork — are cancer survivors.

“I had a tumour in the middle of my head and I was diagnosed in Limerick and the consultant there told me it was the second-worst case he’d ever seen,” said Liam, who had head and neck cancer.