THOUSANDS of Scots are set to take part in the five-week fitness challenge in a major fundraising drive to combat motor neuron disease (MND).
The challenge, organised by the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, sees participants compete with their friends and teammates in sports and exercise activities, logging the equivalent number of miles moved with the goal of being crowned the Doddie Aid 2026 winner while also promoting personal well-being and raising awareness for MND.
The foundation was set up by Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir in 2017 after his diagnosis with the currently incurable disease. It hopes to fund a future free of the illness which damages the nerves that carry signals from your brain to the muscles, leading to a progressive weaking of the body, impacting movement, speech, swallowing and breathing.
The Doddie Aid campaign is the foundation’s biggest fundraising success having raised over £6 million since it began in 2021 with over 100,000 people taking part and logging over 11 million miles of activity. It was set up by former Scotland captain and teammate of Doddie, Rob Wainwright boost funds for medical research and to raise awareness.
Over 13,000 people took part in the 2025 competition, registering over one million miles and raising £1.35m for new MND research.
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Participants can register with a £20 donation before selecting their chosen leagues, including national competitions in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the rest of the world. To keep the challenge engaging, new mini games will be released each week to keep the competition fresh.
Last year teams from across Scotland raised thousands of pounds, including the Edinburgh University based History Boys Rugby Football Club (HBRFC) who completed 2152 miles between the team of 45 and smashed their fundraising target of £2000, eventually raising £3636 after organising a series of fundraiser matches and a Doddie Aid club night.
The team embarked upon a number of individual and group activities, including running, hiking, skiing and rowing as well as team runs in addition to their rugby training sessions and matches.
Last year’s club president, Alexander Nicol, explained his own connection to the charity, as well as the draw it has among rugby players and fans in Scotland, saying: “For me personally, my grandfather died of motor neuron and so it was pertinent.
“The fact that it was a Scottish based rugby charity means that it feels perfectly aligned with our club and because of that unity the likelihood of people donating to our fundraising increases significantly."
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The team have started their preparations for the 2026 competition, with social secretary Benedict Dunn saying: “Being a rugby team in Scotland, it felt right to support a charity that was directly linked to where we are and what we love to do.”
Edinburgh based Paralympics hopeful Davy Zyw has also voiced his support for the campaign, urging people to get involved and raise money and awareness for the disease. He was diagnosed in 2018 and is now training with Team GB as well as specialised physios and coaches with his eyes set on a place at next year's Winter Paralympics, if he qualifies, he would be the first person to compete in the competition with MND.
He said: “January can be a dark month. Doddie Aid gets you moving, connects you with others, and raises millions for the people who need it. Everyone should sign up – pay £20, get a snood to keep your chin warm, and join a community doing something brilliant.
“MND is not incurable – it’s underfunded. Every mile logged is a step towards changing that. I’ll be doing mine on the slopes, but I’d encourage everybody to take part in their own way."
Doddie Aid runs from January 1 to February 5 each year. Since it started in 2021 it has attracted high profile contestants like Sir Chris Hoy, Ewan MacGregor, Lewis Capaldi and Lorraine Kelly and has recently announced that Hamish Weir, Doddie’s eldest son, would lead the Doddie Aid Scotland team.
He has followed in his father’s footsteps and now plays first-team rugby for Melrose, alongside his brothers Angus and Ben. He explained: “This feels like my time to step up, not just as Doddie’s son, but as someone who wants to carry on what he started.
"The foundation is deeply personal to me, my mum, my brothers – it sits deep within us. Keeping that connection alive really matters. If we can help in any small way, we have to do it.”
His UK rivals include podcaster Archie Curzon (Team England), rugby player Edel McMahon (Team Ireland) and broadcaster Laura-Jane Jones (Team Wales).
This year the challenge is focussed on inclusion, hoping to get as many people engaged, saying that participants can do any activity, at any pace, at any ability, and that it all counts regardless of fitness level. Registration details can be found on the Doddie Aid website.
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