The president of Cardinal Spellman High School is undertaking a grueling challenge to raise money for his school.

Cardinal Spellman President Dan O'Keefe is an avid runner in the midst of a 101-mile run around his school's track to raise money for Spellman's athletics and activities programs.

He started the run at 4 a.m. Friday and anticipates it will take him between 26-27 hours to complete.

The run started with one companion - Zakia Haywood, whose daughter graduated from Spellman in 2021. Haywood felt it important to lend her support.

More joined in as the day went on, including faculty, students and even News 12 reporter Pat O'Keefe.

Dan O'Keefe runs 6-8 miles each morning before school, then walks 2 miles at lunch. He also goes for another run each day after school, so he was well-prepared. He did a 100-mile run around the track in 2014 and that raised $150,000 for the school. Now it's 101 miles with the message to his students to "go that extra mile".

The 101-mile run is expected to end between 6 a.m. - 7 a.m. Saturday. "Try not to think, just keep going," said Dan O'Keefe. "I'm glad there are people counting my laps, because that would be tough to do on my own."