Yes, I'm Finally Running the Marathon

It's finally here, the time to run this stupidly long distance. Since I first said I wanted to do this all the way back in 2019, there have been a few small things that have stopped me from running, but maybe, just maybe the stars are aligning that I might be able to run the Brighton Marathon on Sunday 2 April 2023.

So I wanted to do a marathon for three reasons:

• Prove that I can do that excessive amount of physical exercise.
• Do something as extreme as my best friend Edd doing his swimming marathons.
• Raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation.

Over the last seven years, I have been investigating new and easier ways in which we can diagnose motor neuron disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MND/ALS). This has been through seeing whether we can do a simple blood test, do a couple of PCRs (which when I first started running the vast majority of the world never heard of), and see whether there are alterations in certain RNA molecules indicating not only the presence of disease but how it may progress. We have some great candidates that we are now testing on >1,000 samples from people with MND/ALS to see how well they work. If this works, it means that people with and affected with MND/ALS won't have to wait up to a year for a diagnosis and will dramatically improve the chance of successful clinical trials for new drugs, treatments, and hopefully a cure.

Scientific research is expensive, even more so over the last year as the price of all the reagents and equipment have gone up 20% in one year alone, and I am undeservingly quite expensive to employ. Charities, who survive on people donating money, are incredible drivers of medical research in this country, funding over 40% of all medical research in the UK and I have been incredibly lucky that the work that I have been doing has been supported by two charities during my career:

• Motor Neurone Disease Association
• My Name'5 Doddie Foundation

Both of these charities have significant portfolios of research that they are supporting, from understanding how the disease is caused, identifying new potential treatments and cures, and funding clinical trials to see if they work. This is alongside their work they undertake to provide support to people with and affected by MND/ALS and advocating for support from government and business.

It is a privilege to have been funded by the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation as without them, I wouldn't have a job to undertaking this work that may make a difference. The split of 75% Motor Neurone Disease Association: 25% My Name'5 Doddie Foundation reflects the six and two years respectively that each charity has supported me for.

I hope that you will support me by supporting them and donating what you can.
Thank you.