33 of 50
33 Half Marathons completed, more pleasant temperatures for running and kept the route flat. After the next one I'll be more than 2/3 complete for the challenge. Huzzah!
My MND5050 1/2 Marathon Adventure
Donation Link
In 2025, I'll be turning 50 and as a special "reward" for making it this far, I'm going to be challenging myself to run 50 Half Marathons between January 1st and December 31st 2025. To make this even more interesting, I have also entered the Edinburgh (full) Marathon which takes place on 25th May 2025 - this will be my first official full marathon event.
My dad, Fleck, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2009. By some kind of miracle, he is still here going into 2025. To make my project special, I'm hoping to use my challenge to help raise awareness of (and fundraise for) Motor Neurone Disease charities.
You can follow my progress throughout the year on this blog and, if you wish to donate, you can click here. Any funds raised will be divided equally between the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and Motor Neurone Disease Scotland. Any expenses incurred in order to compete in events will be taken care of by me and no personal expenses will be taken from your donations.
Most of my half marathons will be local (non-organised) events which I will record on Strava and post in the blog as proof I did it.
The current plan is to start on New Year's Day and, when I get to the last one, to finish with my dad in Cumbria.
I would like to extend an open invitation to anyone who would like to run (or cycle) with me for any length of time during the challenge. I'll mostly be running on Sundays with some evening ones thrown in on occasion through the weeks. If you'd like to run a Half or even part of the distance with me, feel free to send me a message via the contact form. I'm not fast (will be aiming for 1h50 - 2h00 for most events), so I won't be able to speed up too much if you're quick but am happy to slow down for a chat, if pace isn't your thing.
I'd be very grateful to anyone that can share the link to this page on any social media you use to help spread the word about this challenge.
Donation Link
If you'd like to donate to my MNDA and MND Scotland Fundraiser, click the button here:
32 of 33
A wee bit late in uploading the video from Half Marathon 32 of 50. Did this run on Tuesday 22nd July after seeing Oasis on the 20th in Manchester. See how many blatant Oasis references you can spot.
31 of 50
A rainy run in Cumberland for number 31. This one was with my ultra-running brother-in-law, Duncan. We'd originally intended to do a run around the base of Skiddaw but the forecast of thunder and lightning meant a rethink and we did a road run between Cockermouth and Bassenthwaite instead. We did, indeed get a fair soaking. If you'd like to sponsor me, you can do so via my fundraising page at:
30 of 50
Still Hot Hot Hot 🥵
29 of 50
Very warm and energy-sapping today with what should have been a nice breeze but was like standing in front of a hairdryer on 11. Still, that's another one chalked off and now it's time for a week off before getting on with the final 21 x 21km.
28 of 50
Today was very warm and I was worried I wouldn't make the half marathon distance but ended up running a slow and steady 26.2km, which I'm calling a Kilomathon. I was joined by *my wife*, Fiona on her bike 🥰
27 of 50
Half Marathon 27 today, steady pace listening to a good book (Yellowface by Rebecca P Kuang) to make the miles go quickly. Also got some new Vimto flavoured gels 😋
26 of 50
Counting down now, so that's number 26 done... 24 to go
25 of 50
Significant run ticks off the half way point. Sorry this is a week late being posted but Intgink everyone will agree it was worth the wait for my excellent joke.
24 of 50
Getting more excited as I approach the mid-way hump. This is Half Marathon number 24 and a month early. Woohoo.
22 and 23 of 50
So... ran a a bonus 1/2 Marathon on Tuesday evening for a little catchup and then an incredibly humid half on Saturday morning that I nearly gave up on. Really tough. Still that's 23 chalked off and I'm hoping to get to 25 by the end of May... watch this space!
21 of 50 - Cheeky Midweeker
A midweek run as I'm away this weekend. I didn't much feel like this one as I knew I'd be finishing after 8pm and was pretty low on energy but it actually went fine and it's good to chalk off another one.
About Me
My name is Chris Ditchburn and I've come up with the MND5050 challenge, which will involve me running 50 half marathons in a calendar year.
My dad was a keen runner and windsurfer but it took me until my late 30s to put on a pair of running shoes. In 2013 my dad suggested that we don the Great North Run 2014 with a group of us pulling him in his wheelchair to raise money for MNDA. Things didn't work out exactly as planned but I did the training and ran the distance with my sister and, in Forest Gump fashion, I haven't stopped running since.
I now live in the North East Scotland (well half way up but people say North East) while my parents are still in West Cumbria. Being in different countries means we have separate MND charities, hence I'm running for both MNDA and MND Scotland.
The aim is to raise awareness and funds for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) charities, which are crucial for providing support, research, and care to those affected by this debilitating condition. Through sharing my training experiences, running updates, and fundraising efforts, I hope to inspire others to contribute to this cause.
Your support, whether through donations or simply spreading the word, can help make a significant impact.
Join me in this journey to conquer the miles and support MND charities, as every stride brings us closer to a world without MND.