Team Archie returns for this year’s Dublin City Marathon
James Cuddy, Kieran Dowd, Sean McConn, Dave Newell, Kevin Raftery, Dave McCourt, and Michael Rogerson with George and Isaac Naughton.
Team Archie will be returning to run this Sunday’s Dublin City Marathon as part of a very special fundraising campaign.
Under this initiative, seven athletes will carry a keg for the whole 26.2 miles around Dublin to represent the weight of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Already the team has exceeded its initial target of €7,777 by almost €2,000. Speaking to the Herald, Paula Naughton said it was keeping the Team Archie legacy going.
“Team Archie gave Archie his legs back,” she said and she praised Sinead Gannon, Tonya Hand, Adrian "Speedy" Smith and the other members of the team as “amazing”.
Archie, who had completed several marathons with the team, sadly passed away in July 2022 at just 16 years of age. Bravely his brother Isaac continued the legacy that October, with both Isaac and George completing it in 2023. Unfortunately, they were unable to participate in 2024 and last year due to health reasons.
She explained that initially a friend in London, Estaban Bergonzi was going to do the marathon with the beer keg but unfortunately he picked up an injury in September.
“We thought initially oh this is a sign we are not meant to be doing it,” she said. But after a couple of phone calls, a plan was put in place.
“Johnny Dicker organised 15 soldiers from the 7th Infantry Brigade, who were doing the marathon anyway, in their full gear. They are going to wear the Team Archie logo on their back packs. Their colours are orange and blue.”
Fuerty man James Cuddy, who was a contestant on Ireland’s Fittest Family and very connected with the three Naughton brothers, also became involved. James had previously raised money for the trust by cutting his famous locks in the 2022 ‘The Fro Will Go’ campaign.
“I contacted him and said ‘I am really sorry but I am looking for an ultra-marathon runner who can carry 15 kgs on his back’. That was Tuesday morning and by the night he had seven friends ready to run and carry the beer keg,” she said. “We went from having no runners to 22. Basically, we were rescued by James Cuddy and Johnny Dicker.” The seven friends will be sharing the weight between them, taking turns to carry the keg for six kilometres.
“We bought a special harness to carry the keg and they have been practising with that. The load represents the load of Duchenne, and the weight of rare disease on children and families. And as James said on his fundraising page, they can take the weight off, the families living with Duchenne can’t.”
The Naughtons will be in Dublin at mile 16 to remember Archie and cheer on the team. Ultimately, the trust aims to raise €6.6 million for gene therapy treatment in the US for the twins.
“Time is running out. That is the reality. Boys like George and Isacc, they can’t get the drug Givinostat because it is only prescribed for children who can still walk. They were so disappointed they were excluded, they were devastated. My job is to keep encouraging them because miracles happen.”
She said that this gene therapy programme in the US is currently suspended.
“What we don’t want is if they reopen the programme next April, which is what they are hoping, and have to raise €6.6 million. We need to have the funds good to go. We are asking the public to have faith in us that the money will go where it needs to go. It is €3.3 million each. It is terrible to keep asking people for a €5 or a €10, particularly now with the cost of living.
“This is for us, as EU citizens, to go and buy this drug in America. Duchenne is our biggest enemy but the runner up is time.” To support the fundraiser please visit, The Keg Marathon. 0.0%:Zero Limits iDonate page.
