Golden Globe-winning actor Colin Farrell added to his collection of awards over the weekend after completing the Irish Life Dublin Marathon with his longtime friend Emma Fogarty. Farrell, 48, was among the more than 20,000 participants who took on the 26.2-mile course on Sunday, finishing the marathon in just over four hours.
The Irish actor ran the last 2.5 miles of the race while pushing Fogarty in a wheelchair, successfully crossing the finish line alongside his friend of almost 15 years. Fogarty, who recently turned 40 in June, is Ireland’s oldest survivor of epidermolysis bullosa (EB)—a rare genetic medical condition that causes the skin to tear or blister easily.
“I have known Emma for many years and she epitomises bravery,” Farrell said in a statement after the race, per The Irish Times. “She is what courage and pure determination are all about.” Speaking to RTÉ Radio 1, Farrell said he heard bystanders calling out Fogarty’s name as they raced to the finish line.
“Everyone’s well aware [of Emma] now as she’s such a vocal advocate for those who are living with EB,” he said, describing Fogarty as having a “warrior heart and spirit.” Fogarty said the end of the marathon was especially “spectacular.” “The support we got from the crowd and everything was amazing,” she said.
“It was amazing.” Fogarty was born with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, one of the most severe types of EB. As a result of her debilitating condition, .