A man has run the width of Ireland in less than 24 hours.

British man runs width of Ireland in 24 hours

British man runs width of Ireland in 24 hours

After downing a pint of Guinness, Robert Pope set off from the shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Galway City and ended at the opposite coast in Dublin.

The ultramarathon runner, who hails from Liverpool, completed the run in 23 hours and 39 minutes, becoming the first person to successfully run the width of the country in under 24 hours.

After reaching the end of his 133.5-mile run, Pope rewarded himself with a second pint of Guinness.

He told CBC Radio: "I gave myself a 40 percent chance of actually pulling it off.

"Maybe there was some sort of karmic reward in that because I managed to pull the crazy thing off."

Pope, who came up with the idea after a discussion with fellow runners, said he was surprised that there was no other record apart from his.

He said: "I actually was surprised when I just couldn't find any record of anyone having done it."