Third time's a charm for Dromore runner

This will be the third year in a row that John has run from Mizen Head to Malin

A County Tyrone man who has raised more than 40,000 euros in the last two years running the length of Ireland is about to embark on another marathon journey.

John McCann, from Dromore, will run 385 miles from Mizen Head in County Cork, to Malin Head in County Donegal, raising money along the way for local Down Syndrome charities.

John, who is 61, said he had been bitten by the running bug.

"I came to the end of my football days and decided to do some running," he said.

"I started to do some marathons, then I thought maybe we could do something different.

"About 20 years ago, I ran from Derry to my hometown of Dromore, County Tyrone, for a charity run and that went very well.

"I also ran from Dublin to Cookstown and that took five days of 25 miles each day."

John is also an accomplished marathon runner and reckons he has so far completed 90.

"I ran London recently and Belfast the week after.

"I run the Dublin Marathon which is always the Bank Holiday Monday at Halloween and then the following Sunday I'm in New York for their marathon, so I've done that for the last 10 years in a row.

"What better way to see New York than to run 26 miles around the city centre."

Success

But one marathon, every so often, is very different to running for 10 consecutive days. So what made John take on the Ireland-long challenge?

"I'd always had in my mind to run from Mizen Head to Malin, thinking could I do it?

"I retired, so I decided then, either do it or forget about it.

"We decided two years ago to have a bash at it and it was very successful.

"We repeated it last year, and we said there was no point at stopping then, but we'll definitely stop at the third time."

John will start running in County Cork on 10 June, and plans to reach County Donegal by 20 June.

He will run, on average, 36 to 38 miles a day, and if he is successful he will be the only person to have done it three times.

This will be the second year John has run in aid of Down Syndrome charities and he was keen to emphasise that the money raised will be spent in the area where it was collected.

"For instance when we start in Cork we have it organised with the local groups that they will be collecting in that area, and of course the money they collect, they keep," he said.

"And it will be the same story all the way through Ireland."

So what are John's key pieces of advice for long distance running?

A good breakfast, stopping every hour for something to eat, plenty of fluids and massage at night.

Those wishing to find out more about about John's marathon trek can email [e-mail] for further information.