Tyrone runner helps set new wheelchair marathon record

A 33-year-old runner has helped set a new world record for the fastest marathon run while pushing a wheelchair.

Sean McQuaid is originally from Dungannon but now lives in San Diego, California.

As part of the duo-marathon the athlete pushed his teammate Riley Pathman in a specially-adapted chair.

Riley was born with cerebral palsy, which affects his movement and coordination.

The pair smashed the Guinness world record by completing a marathon in Minnesota in two hours, 35 minutes and 26 seconds.

The previous record was two hours, 49 minutes and 26 seconds.

Sean is relatively new to marathon racing, despite the mammoth accomplishment.

"Growing up in Tyrone, playing Gaelic football kept me fit," he said.

"But when I moved to the US I set a goal of running a marathon and once I accomplished that it just started from there."

A partnership

Sean has completed 12 marathons since October 2020.

But it was a chance meeting with Riley and his father Jim that would have a profound impact on his life.

"In 2017 I was running a race and heard music and I saw this fella pushing this wheelchair while running and so I joined Jim and Riley for the rest of the race," said Sean.

"I thought this was sensational, to not just run for yourself but with others and for others."

Riley and his father Jim play Disney music through a speaker as they run

Riley and his father play Disney music through a speaker as they run.

Jim said: "Riley's favourite is the Lion King playlist - people get a kick out of it and it certainly got Sean's attention.

"After Sean joined us in that first race we exchanged numbers and he started running with us and the rest is history."

Riley is now 24 but he and his father started running together when he was four and have participated in 30 full marathons, 150 half-marathons and 100 triathlons.

Record breakers

However, when a knee injury forced Jim off the road for a while, Sean offered to step in.

Sean and Riley had developed a close bond through hours of training.

"Riley loves endurance racing and I was feeding off that and suddenly we could see that our times were getting faster," he said.

"So we decided to try for a world record in the fastest duo-racing marathon. It definitely scared us but you have to set your goals high."

The pair broke the record at the 26.2-mile course in Duluth, Minnesota on 17 June.

"It's a marathon so you go through many emotions. Seeing the joy on Riley's face as we ran said it all," he said.

"It's a partnership, you're both in it together and just to cross that line - it was the best feeling because we knew we did it."

'Inspire others'

The pair say they will continue to compete in marathons as part of Team Hoyt San Diego.

The team is named after another father-son duo, Dick and Rick Hoyt.

They paved the way for race accessibility, with Dick pushing his son Rick, who was also born with cerebral palsy, for decades, including in 32 Boston marathons.

Dick died in 2021 and Rick passed away a month before Sean and Riley's record-breaking race.

Riley has a passion for endurance racing

Jim said the main motivation was for Riley to inspire others.

"We want to get out there, break records and touch other people's lives," he said.

"It's about encouraging them they can do anything they put their mind to, that's what it's all about."

As for Riley, when asked about how he felt about breaking the world record, his answer was simple: "I love running."