Colin Goodman, 41, from Belfast, who received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2017, will attempt a 563km run from Mizen Head in County Cork to Malin Head in County Donegal this summer. He teams up with Matt Knaggs, 41, from Ohio in the US, diagnosed with MS in 2020.

Goodman works in marketing. His symptoms started during a football game with friends when his vision changed. MRI scans showed brain lesions, confirming the diagnosis.

Knaggs experienced numbness, tingling and sudden weakness from 2019. During a 2020 work trip, he lost the ability to walk and received his diagnosis at a hospital. A neurologist predicted he would need a wheelchair within five years.

Goodman first tried the Mizen Head to Malin Head run in July 2022 with his brother Andrew but reached only Limerick. The pair now aim to finish in 12 days, training 60-130km weekly.

Success would set a Guinness World Record for the fastest team crossing of Ireland on foot with MS. They seek to raise around 100,000 in euros, pounds or US dollars for MS Run the US, Multiple Sclerosis Ireland and MS Society NI.

Knaggs created a Facebook group called Running with MS, which has over 1,100 members. He has completed a marathon daily for six days and ultra-marathons since diagnosis. Goodman began running after his diagnosis and advanced to ultra-marathons.