Over half of residents in Northern Ireland (51%) have confessed to being so unfit they would get out of breath running for the bus, according to new statistics released as part of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland’s (BHF) new fundraising challenge MyMarathon.

The poll revealed over half (53%) of people in Northern Ireland said if they went running now the furthest they could manage is just half a mile or less. One in five (20%) felt they could only make it to 100 metres.

Of those who could manage to run a mile, almost three in ten (29%) said the last time they did was over 10 years ago.

The statistics show almost half (49%) of people in Northern Ireland say they don’t feel fit enough to join the gym or start exercising. For over a third of people (36%) just walking up a few flights of stairs would get them out of breath.

This May, BHF Northern Ireland is launching a brand new fundraising campaign MyMarathon, challenging people to put their best foot forward and run a marathon over a month to help raise money for life saving research.

The survey showed that over a third (35%) of people in Northern Ireland feel running is only for people who are really fit and healthy.

With MyMarathon you can complete the 26.2-mile challenge in your own time, whether it’s over 4 hours, 4 days or 4 weeks - you decide the place and you decide the pace. It’s a great way to get active and join the fight against heart disease.

Sign up online for free to MyMarathon by visiting www.bhf.org.uk/mymarathon

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