Barry runs Half Marathon in memory of his ‘mentor’

Among them was Larne RNLI’s deputy coxswain Barry Kirkpatrick who ran the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in memory of former coxswain and lifeboat volunteer Norman Surplus alongside Causeway Coast lifeguards Millie, Abigail and Olivia to raise funds for the charity.

The mass race started at 11am with two flares lit by Larne RNLI’s lifeboat, Dr John McSparran. The all-weather Trent class lifeboat then followed the race in support down the Antrim Coast road.

Though Barry played a lot of rugby when he was younger, the Antrim Coast Half Marathon is his first running event after completing a couch to 5km app during the covid lockdown. He said: “I live right next to the race course and when I watched the race last year, I said to myself that I would do it next year.

“Norman was like my mentor at the RNLI when I was training up to be coxswain, he is such an inspirational person. He was one of the first volunteers at Larne RNLI, and one of the first coxswains. The RNLI meant a lot to Norman, which is why after talking with his family, I decided to run in his memory to fundraise for the RNLI.”

One of Norman’s inspirational feats, and one of his many Guinness World Records, was being the first man to fly around the world in an autogyro nicknamed “Roxy”. Barry honoured this achievement of Norman’s by wearing Roxy’s international code G-YROX on his running vest.

Norman took off on his round-the-world journey from Sandy Bay in 2010 and landed back there after the second leg of the journey in 2019. Sandy Bay marks a significant point in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon as the start and finish hub.

Barry crossed the finish line on Bay Road accompanied by his young daughter Isla who joined him for the last 500 metres.

RNLI volunteers welcomed finishers across the line and into the finishers hub.

The three RNLI lifeguards who were running in the Half Marathon, Millie, Abigail and Olivia travelled down to Larne from the Causeway Coast. The lifeguards were keen to support their RNLI lifeboat colleagues while raising funds for the charity that helps them save lives at sea together.

Donations are still open via https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/barry-kirkpatrick?utm_term=jWb69KWkA

Read: ‘Wat-er’ great success for Castle Rowing Club