Update 2: Simon - I wasn’t always a runner. On Monday the 11th March 2019, I received an unexpected phone call, one that numbed me to the core. At first I couldn’t comprehend what I was hearing or what had actually happened. It was as if time was frozen, I was frozen, my head spinning uncontrollably. How could my friend be gone? For several days, the un-realness of the situation made my thoughts confused and irrational. I simply could not absorb the terrible, incomprehensible news and thoughts of Rob consumed me. On the Wednesday evening I ran. I ran in the Chichester Corporate Challenge. I found myself in a jostling, animated crowd of people who were just running. We moved as one body, a collective spirit. We were moving forward, there was energy and purpose and it felt good. That run didn’t make the tragedy of Rob’s death go away - it was just a run after all - but it felt powerful and somehow symbolic of life. Life is about energy and people and moving forward one step at a time. For me, this epiphany was the start of the healing process. I wasn’t always a runner. On October 27th 2019 Rob would have been 40 years old. We should have been celebrating his birthday. Instead, this October 27th I will be running the Dublin Marathon – running in his honour and remembering the great friend that he was. I’ve often thought that running a marathon is the ultimate, human endurance test; a test of human will, strength of character and often for a great cause to benefit others. The marathon will be a fitting remembrance for Rob. I want to honour him. I want to celebrate his 40th birthday. I want to thank him for his friendship and all that he gave me whilst he was alive. I want to make him proud. It is a tragedy that I will never be able to run the marathon with my pal, like so many other things we will never get to do together. I am however, immensely proud and honoured to be running the Dublin Marathon alongside Rob’s inspirational wife, Katie, plus many of our close and loyal friends. Before I moved to England in 2005, I had spent all my life living on Seagrange Drive, in Baldoyle. When growing-up, Rob was my friend from as far back as I can remember – he was always there and we were always friends. My earliest memories are of playing and growing and hanging-out with Rob on none other than the best block on the street (26 down). From those earliest days, Rob was like a brother to me. I cherished his friendship and his qualities – he was always there for me, loyal no matter what! There are so many stories and brilliant things I could write about Rob; his thoughtfulness & kindness, the holidays we spent together, the music events and his performances, his spirit, his way of bringing people together, of working together, the birthday gifts, the letters, the postcards, the music, the sporting events, visits and trips to my home in the UK, the list goes on and on. Rob had an amazing spirit and he shared that with all his friends. This makes running the marathon in his memory so fitting; it typifies the power of the human spirit, the generous and challenging ethos of the marathon, the human dimension, the physical. Fitting because physical activity was an intrinsic part of Rob. Whether it was football or GAA in the parks, streets or gardens, martial arts in our local community, hitting the weights in the gyms or running and training in the local fields and beyond. Rob had a way of encouraging you into sporting activities and making you feel part of the active community. In fact Rob played a vital role in shaping my own resilience and mental toughness - a quality I developed while learning sportsmanship with him. I carry that resilience with me to this day and I know I will call upon my inner strength to push through the pain come race day. I wasn’t always a runner but there is one story I’d like to share. I was always busy playing football. It was probably the only sport at which I could get the better of Rob. Getting around him in a game always came with its far share of kicks and hard fought tussles, which frankly, we enjoyed. I guess I ran a lot whilst playing football but the love for running and being challenged through running was never there - that love and challenge was to be incepted by Rob much later. In the hot summer of 2013 I was back in Ireland for a break. Katie, Rob and myself were driving back from Kerry after our friend’s wedding, in fact Rob and Katie weren’t long married themselves. Life had thrown me a bit of a bump in the road at this junction but as ever, Rob was there to help me with the healing process. In his typical way, he invited me up to his house and was quickly arranging things to get me active and busy. He told me that he and some of the Baldoyle boys were training on Tuesday evenings at the Racecourse Park (Red Arches). The session was a mix of running activities and TRX and he encouraged me to go along. I showed-up in my old battered runners (trainers, sneakers, kicks), not really fit for running in. The boys had all the gear, the proper footwear, bubbles and cushioned midsoles galore. We did a few warm-ups then started running - five laps of the course was the goal! We started out nice and gentle and by lap three I fancied my chances at beating Rob to the finish. But he was far too sharp for me and finished well ahead; this was a good lesson for me to learn. Rob’s competitiveness was another of his great qualities, yet he was never boastful, only ever encouraging and supportive. At the end of the session Rob said, ‘you finished in under 26 mins, that’s really good for your first run’. He also said, ‘it must of been hard in them runners, you’d do much better in a proper pair of running shoes’. That was his kind way of saying, look at the state of your runners! The following day he invited me to his house and we chatted about the training session. I told him I was really keen to go again and I could tell he was delighted. Rob loved talking about sports activities and I remember we spoke about getting new running shoes and we laughed about the state of my runners a few more times. We continued chatting and arranged to run again the following week. After a couple of days Rob called round. When I opened the front door there he was holding an Arnotts bag. When I opened the bag inside was a brand-new pair of Asics Gel Fuji ii trainers. And that was the man Rob was. He loved giving. He was a special human being and a special friend. It is hard to imagine my life without him but his memory will always live on. For the last 6 years I’ve been running in those trainers and the outsoles are worn out front and back. One of the last messages I sent to Rob was to tell him how very much I appreciated his gift. I wasn’t always a runner. Thank you, Rob, I’m running the marathon for you. I love you and miss you always brother Simon x

UPDATE 1: A MESSAGE FROM JULIE KEEGAN ON WHAT RUNNING THE MARATHON MEANS TO HER: Running this year’s marathon is something I never dreamt of doing. I also never imagined life without my brother-in-law in it. These past few months have been by far the most difficult and testing ones in my family's life. I guess in a weird way running the marathon for Rob is incredibly fitting. As Katie has mentioned, it is the marathon’s 40th anniversary which is taking place on Rob’s 40th birthday. Not only this cosmic coincidence, but Rob had also mentioned to Katie that he was thinking of running this year. He might not be taking part, but we are all doing it for him. Anyone who knew Rob, knew of his passion for keeping fit and exercising any chance he got. There was many a time he put me to shame by going out for a run or opting for the gym instead of lazing around the house to watch Netflix. I think those are the best memories I have of Rob. All the Christmases, Easters and various other times Rob, Katie and I took off from Dublin for a few quality days in my parent’s house in Mayo. Rob fit in so well to our family and the thoughts of him not being there during holidays is difficult to bear. I can hear him now trying his best to mimic Katie and I by saying,’hey girl’ in his best Northsider/American accent. As you can imagine the result is pretty hilarious! Another time in Mayo with Rob that I hold dear in my heart, was my 21st birthday. I think the only other person more excited about it was Rob. There was plenty of chat leading up to the party about music mixes and getting DJ equipment down. I always remember how social and ‘up for the craic’ Rob was that night. Despite being totally outnumbered in a room full of 21 year old girls. In a nutshell that was the type of person he was. No matter the age, sex or background, you would always find Rob striking up an in-depth conversation and finding some commonground. I could go on about the man he was but most importantly he was a kind and loving husband to my sister and the best dad to my beautiful niece. Amelia has been the greatest gift Rob has given to our family. She is such a beam of light, getting everyone through the darkest time with the much needed comic relief and kisses and cuddles when needed.I am so grateful I got to be your sister-in-law but really I don’t factor in that ‘in-law’ bit. You are and have always been my brother, Rob and I love you.