A South Belfast man has set a new world record after completing a staggering 25 half-triathlons in the space of seven months.
Brian Armstrong eclipsed the previous record set by former US Marine Michael Mendoza which had stood for five years.
It was a proud moment for the 41-year-old - but he isn't finished yet.
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At the start of 2022 Brian set off on the 'Tri50' challenge. His overall target is to complete a total of 50 half-distance triathlons within the calendar year - around one a week.
Brian has been taking on a '70.3' triathlon every weekend, which involves a 1.2 mile swim, 56 miles on the bike and a half-marathon (13.1m).
Weather, injuries and Covid-19 have all impacted on his challenge so far, making last Sunday's world record success an emotional moment for the mental health worker.
"It was a great moment going over the finishing line last Sunday, and quite an emotional one," Brian told Belfast Live.
"It is great to beat the record, and then you realise you are only halfway there!
"To have everyone there last Sunday at Ballyholme - family, friends and colleagues - was brilliant. They saw me over the line when I was physically struggling and reaching the end of the run.
"It was an emotional moment. I suppose beforehand I was wondering if there would be any people there at the end.
"I was obviously physically and mentally drained, and to have people there supporting me was brilliant. It meant a lot. It was a really nice moment."
In his 25 attempts, Brian has completed a total of 1757.5 miles, including 30 miles in the water, 327.5 miles running and 1400 miles on a bike.
So how's the body feeling?
"I have to be honest, my body and mind have never been better. Everything feels easy at the minute. Hopefully that continues," he said.
"I have been doing my challenge on the Sunday, and then I do a recovery session on the Monday which is an hour or 90 minutes on the bike. And it is a tough enough cycle.
"But I have never felt better in my body and mind."
Brian's record attempt last weekend saw him take in a 1.2-mile swim at Ballyholme beach, a 56-mile cycle around the Ards Peninsula and a final run from Ballyholme Yacht Club to Donaghadee Lighthouse and back which measures exactly a half-marathon.
It hasn't all been plain sailing, with Brian's challenge stalling for a couple of weeks after he caught Covid.
"I caught Covid and that put things back, and we also had some storms which halted things," he said.
"Wind is very important to me, even what direction it is coming from. There are a lot of logistics and safety measures which have to be in place every week.
"Even sorting things like how do I make sure my car is at the finishing line, so I don't have a long trek back at the end.
"If I turned up to an arranged event, it would have been a lot easier. I did one organised event in Nottingham which was so handy."
As well as creating history and breaking records, Brian has also been raising awareness for mental health issues and organisations in Belfast.
He currently works for South Belfast Alternatives and is keen to help support mental health services here, as well as "motivate normal people to realise they can do extraordinary things".
He added: "I have engaged with 2,500 young people and have been doing sessions with Queen's School of Psychology.
"Overall, it has been mind-blowing just how amazing a journey it has been so far. Everyone can adopt these various techniques and messages into their own lives.
"It is about creating conversations about different things, and helping your mindset.
"I would love to see a big push on the fundraising now we have achieved the record."
Brian admits he enjoyed a few sips of beer and champagne after last Sunday's record-breaking attempt.
But it wasn't long before he reset ahead of attempt number 26 this weekend.
"I had a couple of sips for the photographs," he joked.
"I can't afford to get drunk as the next attempt is this Sunday. And we are not stopping until we hit the 50 target.
"I have a big support network behind me, the best. And everyone constantly pushes each other. There is no competition against each other, we just support each other.
"And that is something special."
Brian has set up a fundraising page for his charity challenge. He is hoping to raise funds for Alternatives’ mental health and counselling services, a community based therapeutic service helping people at their point of need.
Anyone looking to donate can check out his page HERE
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