New Year’s goal for Alberta man: 250 marathons in 2010

Cochrane, Alta. runner Martin Parnell, 54, plans to complete 250 marathon-distance runs in 2010 and raise $250,000 for the Right to Play charity. Parnell will run in 12 actual marathon competitions and log the rest of the 42.2K sets near his home and at schools, where he’ll talk to students about his mission and get them to run laps with him.

Parnell says d his original plan was to run 365 marathons in 2010, but his doctor, a mountaineer who has summited Mount Everest, advised him to take the weekends off.

Now semi-retired after working in the mining industry, Parnell began running in 2002 at the age of 47 and has since tackled some of the toughest ultra races in Canada, including the Lost Soul Ultra in Lethbridge, Alta., the Cold Foot Classic in the Northwest Territories and the Canadian Death Race in Grande Cache, Alta. and the Sinister 7 Ultra in Blairmore, Alta.

Track Parnell’s progress at www.marathonquest250.com.