An ultra marathon runner is going the distance fundraising for children living with disabilities so they can hopefully move more freely.

Hawke's Bay runner Andrew McCrory is raising money for a Rotorua centre that specialises in intensive therapy for children with neurological disabilities and disorders, including cerebral palsy.

The Centre of Movement aims to improve essential motor skills like rolling, sitting, crawling and walking, but courses can cost thousands of dollars.

Andrew McCrory has been fundraising for children needing surgery or therapy for several years now, after he injured his own back and needed spinal surgery in 2018.

His next big run is the 320-kilometre Great Naseby Water Race in August.

Andrew McCrory (right) was inspired to start fundraising after he injured his own back and needed spinal surgery in 2018.

Andrew McCrory

McCrory told Checkpoint it was his own back injury that inspired him to begin his fundraising journey.

"I was scrolling Facebook and I found a wee girl that needed some help. She had cerebral palsy and so I just jumped in and helped her out. She had surgery in America; I had surgery in New Zealand.

"I took up running after I had my spine fused in 2018 and sort of haven't stopped."

The money McCrory is currently raising is going straight to the kids at the Centre of Movement, which has centres in Rotorua and Christchurch.

"The therapy and stuff that they need costs a lot of money and so every single cent that I raise just pays for their therapy."

McCrory said he had the opportunity to visit the centre on Saturday and squeezed in an 80km training run while he was at it.

Andrew McCrory's next big run is the 320-kilometre Great Naseby Water Race in August.

Andrew McCrory

Before the centre opened locations in New Zealand, McCrory had fundraised to send kids to the centre in the Gold Coast.

He said having the service available here was making an unbelievable difference.

"It's the little things that we take for granted, sitting, standing, even walking, using the toilet.

"All the therapy can help and it's not just helping the kids out, it's helping the families as well... they do amazing stuff."

McCrory said his own experience had made him appreciate movement so much more.

"With my back, I could barely walk, I couldn't sit on my bum, I had to lie on my left side.

"So having my surgery and doing my rehab and getting back into moving and all of that gives me an appreciation big time, seeing the struggles that these kids have."

In his years of fundraising so far McCrory estimates he has been able to donate around $125,000.

Without putting a figure on it, he said he would like to fundraise as much as possible for his upcoming 320km Great Naseby Water Race.

The gruelling race will be McCrory's longest yet, a whopping 80km further than his current record, a 240km journey through the Karangahake Gorge Rail Tunnel last year.

In order to get in shape for the challenge, McCrory runs six days a week, dedicating Saturday and Sunday to longer runs.

For the mental side of getting through such a long journey, his training schedule is less rigourous.

"Mentally, I don't know, we'll deal with that after 200 kilometres."

McCrory's said donations supporting his race could be made directly to the Collective Movement.