Marathoner completes 200th race, 50 to go

A Cochrane man set off on his 200th marathon of the year Monday morning, a major milestone as he nears his goal of running 250 of the gruelling races in a single year.

Martin Parnell, 54, vowed in January that he would run a 42.2-kilometre race five days per week throughout 2010 to raise money for Right to Play, an international children's sport charity.

Parnell's odyssey has raised about $115,000 for the humanitarian group, he said. The goal is $250,000.

As he embarked from a coffee shop at Eau Claire Market on Monday, the semi-retired engineer said Calgary's dreary summer was hard on his enthusiasm.

Post-race rewards of chocolate milk and ice cream cones have helped Parnell silence the little voice in his head that says 'I don't want to run today'," he said.

"I really had a tough go, but middle of September, the weather improved," he said.

With almost 8,500 kilometres behind him, Parnell has 66 days to run 50 more marathons by the end of the year.  

"I've had a good month. I'm feeling pumped now," he said. "I'm doing it for the kids, so that's the driver."