One Man. Two Weeks. 400 Miles. Marcus Walks Ireland for Air Ambulance NI

Portrush man Marcus Christie is preparing to walk the length of Ireland—from Cork to his hometown of Portrush, starting on 17th August, almost 400 miles and a marathon a day for two weeks!

In honour of his late mother, Joan Christie CVO OBE, Marcus aims to raise £20,000 through this challenge. The funds will help the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service team deliver urgent pre-hospital care—potentially supporting five more patients in critical need.

Following the sudden loss of his mother on New Year’s Day 2023, Marcus was inspired to support Air Ambulance Northern Ireland—the service that responded in an effort to help her. Though she tragically passed away, Marcus channelled his grief into purpose, becoming a dedicated volunteer, fundraiser, and ambassador for the charity.

Marucs is looking for a number of T-shirt sponsors and you can support Marcus’ Cork 2 Port Challenge by donating through his JustGiving page: https://rb.gy/yzkjwa

To date, Marcus has raised approximately £50,000 for Air Ambulance NI through a range of events and personal challenges. These have included a gala ball for 200 people, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in 2024, and completing the Three Peaks Challenge—scaling the highest mountains in England, Scotland, and Wales in just over 21 hours in 2023.

Marcus said: “I know the value that Air Ambulance NI brings to local people who are having the worst day of their lives. Being able to make a positive difference keeps me going, and mum was very charitable, so it is lovely to keep her memory alive and hopefully make her proud. Everyone keeps telling me how challenging the distance will be—but I wanted to take on something even more testing than I’ve done before. Fourteen marathons it is!”

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at Air Ambulance NI, added:

“We've had supporters cycle around Ireland before, but this is the first time someone is attempting it on foot! Marcus seems unfazed by the challenge so far, but it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. We hope many friends, family, and colleagues will join Marcus for sections of the walk to help keep his motivation high. We’re so grateful for everything he’s doing for Air Ambulance NI.”

Air Ambulance NI is the charity that partners with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service for the region. The service is needed on average twice a day to bring critical pre-hospital care to the scene, saving lives, brains, and limbs. The charity relies on the public to raise £3 million in fundraising annually.

Learn more at www.airambulanceni.org