ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester Police Sergeant Brett Sobieraski is gearing up for the run of a lifetime.

He’s a two-time Iron Man competitor who is getting ready to run for 50 hours, nonstop, to raise money for young athletes.

"It's funny. Originally I said I would do 48 hours for the Special Olympics,” he said. “Then the Special Olympics folks said 'Hey, it's our 50th anniversary. What's another two hours?' And I'm like:  ‘probably a lifetime.'”

He’s previously run for 36 1/2 hours, “but just something to see if it’s possible.”

"We have 50 years of Special Olympics and Brett's gonna run for 50 hours to represent that,” said Luke Folts of the Special Olympics, Genesee Region. “What a great way to fundraise and to bring awareness to our program and what we do."

Sobieraski will set out Friday from Buffalo. He will follow the path of the Erie Canal for his run. He expects to pass through Genesee Valley Park Saturday. All he'll have is a back pack and a credit card.

He figures he'll get all the way to Syracuse in those 50 hours running and walking. But never resting. And never sleeping.

"My feet will stop when I'm paying the cashier at the convenient stores or at the Wegmans I can find to buy my food and my Gatorade," Sobieraski said.

He’ll also be doing the majority of the run by himself.

“People are planning on coming out here and there to run with me,” he said.

He’s got a single, lofty goal to keep him moving.

“This is about the Special Olympians though. It's about inclusiveness,” Sobieraski said. “It's about anyone who wants to compete should have the ability to compete. So that's the whole idea behind this. Raising money for those heroes.”

Keep track of Sobieraski’s run here and donate to his efforts here.