Ottawa man completes marathon at Ottawa Hospital General Campus

OTTAWA — Daniel McGlinchney used a stay at the Ottawa Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic to complete his first marathon.

The 66-year-old Ottawa man speed walked around his unit at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus to finish his marathon in four days.

The Ottawa Hospital posted a video on social media of McGlinchey crossing the finish line Thursday afternoon after he completed 44 kilometres. Some of the staff surprised McGlinchey with a medal and a t-shirt.

Speaking on “The Drive” on TSN 1200, McGlinchey said he was admitted to the Ottawa Hospital last month.

“I had to come to the hospital on April 20. I’ve had lots of health issues over the years and I thought I’d be in here six hours, and I’m still here now.”

“I had two blood clots, I got Lupus, I got rare blood cancer. I thought I was a goner before the end of April, so here I am stuck self-isolating in the hospital.”

McGlinchey underwent a bone marrow biopsy and a spinal tap. He says after the first stage of treatment, he had “lots of energy” and decided to sign up for the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend virtual race.

“I did 44 kilometres in four days.”

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is hosting a virtual race this year after being forced to cancel the in-person event due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures.

McGlinchey tells TSN 1200 he’s an early riser at the hospital, so he’d do six or seven kilometres before the 6 a.m. start of CTV Morning Live. He would then do a few kilometres later in the morning and in the afternoon.

“I did 16 kilometres today to get to the 44 kilometres in four days.”

One lap around the hospital unit on the sixth floor at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus is 0.09 kilometres.

McGlinchey has finished 14 half-marathons, but had never completed a full 42-kilometre marathon.  He also took part in the Commander Challenge at the Canada Army Run.

He joins the Running Room four or five nights a week in the summer.

McGlinchey celebrated his 46^th anniversary with his wife on May 4. Since visits are banned at the hospital due to the pandemic, he says staff at the Ottawa Hospital decorated the window of his sixth floor room with a “big D for Dan, a big heart, and a J for Dan loves Joyce.”

“My wife came, and my daughter, and took pictures.”