Irish Examiner
Tuesday 5 June 2012
By Eoin English
From blushing bride to runaway bride – it was a marathon bank holiday wedding weekend to remember for popular broadcaster Jacqui Hurley.
The co-presenter of Radio One’s Sunday Sport walked up the aisle to marry Shane McMahon in her native Cork on Saturday.
Then yesterday, the newlyweds togged out to run the final leg of the Cork city marathon together in memory of Jacqui’s later younger brother, Sean, 25, who died in a car crash last year.
Two days before the crash, Sean who was a champion motorcycle racer, drew up a list of goals, which included running in the Cork marathon.
After his death, Jacqui and her family vowed to fulfill his list. They have completed a duathlon and a triathlon.
The couplewere joined by 75 wedding guests and friends who ran the marathon yesterday.
“We’re so proud to have been able to do this for him. We had a lot of tired and hungover heads this morning, but I think they feel a little fresher now,” Jacqui said moments after crossing the line.
She said she was emotional as she and her husband approached the finish line.
“It was just the emotion of everything – the entire weekend. The wedding day was emotional because the wedding was in the same church where we buried my brother. But you remember the happy days and crossing the line today was amazing- to be able to do what he wasn’t able to do.”
“The feeling of accomplishment and living his memory here today was amazing.”
Shane said running the last leg with his wife went smoothly. “Apart from being told what to do all the time,” he quipped.
They have raised over €10,000.00 to help provide free screening at the Centre for Cardiac Risk in Younger Persons in Tallaght Hospital.
They jet off on their honeymoon this morning to Cancun, Mexico, before taking a Caribbean cruise and attending their best man’s wedding in Portugal in three weeks.
Jacqui and Shane were among more than 8,000 people who completed in the marathon which was won by Kenyan Freddy Keron in a new course record time of 2:22:12.