A group of teenagers who are part of the Cork City FC Academy are preparing to take part in this weekend’s Cork City Marathon.
The eight players, who are between 15 and 17 years old, are running in the 10k Youth Challenge on Sunday. The Youth Challenge is designed to give young people a chance to take part in a marathon and experience the atmosphere on the day.
The young runners from the Cork City FC Academy are hoping to raise funds to cover the costs of this year’s overseas trips. The Academy takes on teams from other countries which gives them the opportunity to play in a professional and high-performance environment.
Other benefits for the young players include the experience of travelling abroad, encourages team bonding, and prepares them for a career in international football.
This year’s trips include games against Manchester United, Liverpool, Sevilla and Real Betis.
The players taking part in the marathon are Jamie O’Brien, Nathan Tait, Morgan Kelleher, Luke Hurley, Chris Harrington, and Finn Dalton.
Finn Dalton is joint captain of the Under 17s team. He was in Portugal to play against Porto and Benfica last year.
“It was such a fantastic opportunity, it was great to see the professionalism and the standard of football over there. We’re looking forward to taking part in the marathon on Sunday. There may be competition between us on the day but I think I’ll take it.”
Anyone who would like to support the team can donate on https://www.corkcityfc.ie/
