An Armagh man is getting ready to run an ultramarathon in New York this weekend.
James Greene, who’s a trainee solicitor, will take on the 32-mile challenge to raise money for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.
The charity helps to bring the bodies of people who have died abroad back to Ireland, alleviating an otherwise costly process for families.
James (24) initially set out to raise £1,000, but has since collected over £4,400.
The Trust was founded by the family of Newry man Kevin Bell, who passed away in New York 12 years ago.
His loved ones were forced to raise significant funds for the repatriation of his body after his sudden death.
In 2013, aged 26, Kevin had secured a J1 visa and was beginning to establish himself in the city when he was killed in a suspected double hit-and-run as he made his way back to his apartment.
James said he felt a personal connection to the charity, having lived in New York before, as well as growing up only 25 minutes away from Newry.
He said: “My employers, Elliott Duffy Garrett, partnered with the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust this year, and when I saw that, I knew I wanted to do something.
“I had always known about the charity. I’ve been back and forth to New York many times.
“I lived there for two summers. Kevin obviously lived in New York and he was actually on the same visa as I had been on.”
James’ girlfriend lives in the Big Apple and he still travels there several times a year.
She will join him on a leg of the ultramarathon along with three friends who are due to fly over to meet him later this week.
James explained: “I have a friend who lives in New York, so there will be five people who are going to do legs with me, but I’m the only one who’s going to run it in its entirety.
“I’m very glad to have those people because I’m sure I’ll need them.
“You’re finishing a marathon and then you’ve another 10km to do on top of it.
“My parents are coming out as well. They’ll meet me at each of the fuelling stations.
“They’ll have a bag full of gels, water and bananas up there, whatever I need really.”
James Greene at the Kevin Bell bench in Woodlawn, NYC
James has never attempted a marathon before, but has been sticking to a rigorous training schedule since August to ensure he’s ready.
The Ulster University graduate runs a minimum of five days a week, interchanging between half-marathons and 5km routes.
“It’s a completely new challenge. It was probably in August when I thought of doing something for the Trust and, at that stage, I was pretty unfit.
“I used to run when I was younger and I sort of just fell out of the way of it.”
James designed the route which will see him start at Woodside in Queens where he lived and finishing at the memorial bench dedicated to Kevin in the Woodlawn area of the Bronx.
During his route, he will run past popular landmarks including the Irish Hunger Memorial.
James said: “I just tried to connect it with Ireland as much as it could and it ended up being 32 miles.
“So there are 32 counties on the island, and the Trust looks after the 32 counties.
“So in my head, I’m just going to try to check off every mile and say to myself ‘that’s another county the Trust looked after’.”