A SALTCOATS teacher will give the phrase ‘school-run’ a new meaning when he attempts to jog to his work, which is more than 27 miles away in Dunoon.
Gerard Cavani (pictured), a physical education teacher at Dunoon Grammar School, will make the journey with a difference to raise cash for the school charity Cancer Research UK. The 27-year-old will run from his home on Sharphill Road to his place of work at Ardenslate Road, Kirn, on Wednesday, February 13.
He said: “I decided in November that I would like to attempt a run to the school for charity and now it has come to fruition.” One of the main challenges will be completing the run in pitch darkness. The fitness fanatic plans to begin his run at 2.30am so that, all going to plan, he will arrive at school just in time for the day’s lessons. “A lot of people have asked about running in the darkness,” he said. “About 75 per cent of the journey will be reasonably-lit but the other 25 per cent I will have to rely on my luminous running gear and lights and I may even consider getting an escort to drive alongside me.

“I am a realist so I expect the run to be very difficult but I am very confident I will complete it before the 9am bell.” Although he is a keen runner and an amateur football player at Irvine-based side Clark Drive, Gerard has never attempted a run of this magnitude before. He said: “It is going to be quite a challenge but I am looking forward to it. I have been training and doing about 30miles of running a week over varying distances.”

During the 27.5mile run he will have covered much of the North Ayrshire and Inverclyde coast and will almost have completed a full marathon. The finishing strait is no walkover either as the last mile and a half is a steep ascent to the Dunoon school. Gerard said: “The school is a fantastic place to work and I have a great relationship with the staff and pupils, so I am sure they will be happy to see me crawling up the steep hill to the finish. “Most people that are aware of my challenge think I am crazy but sometimes you need to put yourself second, especially when you are trying to set a good example to others.”

If you are interested in donating to Gerard’s run for Cancer Research UK, please visit his JustGiving page at: www.justgiving.com/mrcavanidgs.