A South Belfast man is taking on an epic and poignant challenge to mark the second anniversary of his father's death.
John Mulholland, 48, is embarking on an enormous task of running 100 miles in 24 hours.
It will be a bittersweet moment for the father-of-four as his run will take place exactly two years to the day since the passing of his own devoted dad Charlie Mulholland.
Read more: Belfast's 10 most eye-catching planning projects of 2022 so far
The 72-year-old was from the Ormeau Road area and best known as a prominent fish wholesale merchant.
He passed away on June 2, 2020 following a three year battle with liver and kidney cancer.
Charlie was a dedicated family man and is survived by his wife Kathleen, three children John, Conor and Christina and 11 grandchildren.
"My target is to run for 24 hours and complete 100 miles in memory of my daddy. I will start at 7am on Thursday, June 2 and finish at 7am on Friday, June 3," John told Belfast Live.
"It's all in aid of the Northern Ireland Kidney Patients' Association (NIKPA). This is an amazing charity doing fantastic work.
"I had considered running straight to Dublin but that would involve having a whole team with me for support, food stops etc. I'm basically breaking the 100 miles down into eight half marathons so I can finish back at home to change, refuel and get ready to go again.
"I will be setting off from the Ormeau Road, through the city centre and over to Titanic before finishing up along the Lagan Towpath and Belvoir Forest. A few friends are coming to run with me on certain parts of the route."
Reflecting on two years since his dad's passing, John said: "Dad was diagnosed with cancer of the liver and kidney about three years before his death and he had only been given between six and 12 months to live at that point so he did very well.
"He and my mum started the family business together, Charles Mulholland & Sons, on Raphael Street and ran it successfully for many years before his retirement.
"I took it over at that point but dad was still about and he drove a van a couple of days a week."
John added: "Dad was extremely hard working and taught me everything that I know. Like all dads, he was someone that you looked up to. He had a very dry sense of humour and loved to have a sing-song with friends.
"The biggest thing for him was his family and they came first for him all the time. That's why he always worked hard so that he could give us all a good start in life.
"Dad would probably tell me I'm a headcase for doing something like this challenge as he wasn't big into his fitness himself but I know he'll be with me on the day."
John has a Just Giving page to raise funds for NIKPA and you can donate here.
Read more: Concern over 'sustained pattern of burglaries' across South Belfast
Read more: East Belfast non-binary bisexual speaks out after series of homophobic hate crimes
To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.
