Angus Mcdonald, a qualified Personal Trainer from Dunfermline, recently completed the Edinburgh and London Marathons to help raise awareness and funds for MND Scotland and in memory of his father, Nigel.

Nigel Mcdonald grew up in Bannockburn, Stirling. He was married to Pauline for over thirty years, and the couple have three children, Lewis, Kayleigh, and Angus. Nigel was a chef by trade and ran his own shop and catering business in Fife for over twenty years.

Speaking about his father, Angus said: “My dad was always on the go. He was full of life and wanted to have fun. When I was growing up, he always made sure the family had fun”.

Nigel was diagnosed with motor neuron disease and frontotemporal lobe dementia in August 2021. Nine months after diagnosis, Nigel died in May 2022, just over a month after his 59th birthday.

Speaking about his dad’s diagnosis, Angus said: “They didn’t know what was wrong with him at first. He wasn’t acting like himself and was doing strange things that were totally out of character.

“My dad didn’t think there was anything wrong with him, but my mum and one of my dad’s close friends encouraged him to go to his GP for a check-up.

“The GP initially thought he may have had depression as his business was closed during the lockdown period, and he prescribed antidepressants and refer him to the hospital for further tests.

“His general behaviour continued to be out of character, and in March 2021 after a series of tests at the hospital, we were told my dad had early onset most likely Alzheimer’s dementia.

“This was quite a blow, but explained his behaviour, and we just thought we would just have to deal with it as it comes. My dad was still unaware anything was wrong with him, but we also started to notice his left arm was becoming weak and he couldn’t grip or carry anything in it. He started getting a lot of muscle twitching in his arms, and in July his head started to drop as if his neck couldn’t support the weight of it.

“After a further visit to Neurology in August 2021 and various other tests, we were told he did not have Alzheimer’s but he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease and frontotemporal lobe dementia.

“MND took its toll on him. As time went on, his condition worsened, and you could see him deteriorate week by week. As he deteriorated physically, he also became more confused mentally, so he didn’t really understand what was happening or what lay ahead.

“He was always as active as possible, right up until he passed away. He always had to be doing something. He found it difficult to sit still and wanted to go out walking every day. Although he could no longer cook for the family, he was determined to feed our dogs, friends and neighbours’ dogs, go to the park and feed the squirrels and feed the ducks with bread every day.

He continued: “It’s hard to describe what we went through when he received his diagnosis. It was my dad, so you never think it could happen to him, and it didn’t feel real. No one can prepare you for the experience or what to expect until it happens to someone in your family. It was hard to watch him decline physically but we were having to cope with the dementia at the same time. It was something you just can’t imagine or put into words”.

Angus is a dedicated supporter of MND Scotland and has previously taken part in three Edinburgh Marathons in 2022, 2023 and 2024 – raising over £3,300 for other families affected by the brutal disease.

This year, Angus completed two major marathons, the TCS London Marathon on 27 April, and the Edinburgh Marathon on 25 May 2025.

The London Marathon is the biggest in the UK and one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The Edinburgh Marathon Festival is the UK’s second-biggest marathon and was voted ‘Fastest Marathon in the UK’ by readers of Runner’s World.

Speaking about why he chose to take part in both marathons, Angus said: “The reason I got into marathons was to give me a focus and take my mind off everything that was going on with my dad.

“I had run 10k’s in the past and I always wanted to do a full marathon. My dad always said, ‘if you’re going to do something, just do it’, so I thought I may as well do the full thing and signed up for the full Edinburgh marathon in May 2022.

Nigel did not get to see Angus participate in his first marathon: “My dad died 10 days before my first Edinburgh Marathon, and my head wasn’t really in it. I woke up on the morning of the challenge, and I could see the messages of support and all the kind donations from people, and I just thought ‘I have to do this for me and my dad’”’.

Taking part in his first marathon was an emotional experience for Angus: “During the race, I reached the halfway point and was absolutely buzzing. It felt like an out-of-body experience; I had never felt anything like it before. I began to break down and cry. I thought about my dad, how he just wanted to keep going and reflected on how I had never run that far before. I considered what we had been through, and about other people affected by the disease, and I realised that, even though my legs were sore, I had to keep going like my dad and I was running for them. In that moment, I decided that I wanted to continue this every year”.

MND Scotland is committed to its vision of a world without MND. The charity provides financial, practical and emotional support to everyone affected by an MND diagnosis.

All donations and funds raised by Angus in his challenges will help contribute to providing support services to those who need help most and fund vital research to help find a cure and suitable treatments.

Jonathan Mitchell, Head of Fundraising for MND Scotland, said: “We would like to thank Angus for sharing his story about his dad, Nigel, and for taking on two major marathons in support of MND Scotland.”

“We understand the impact that MND can have on individuals and families, as well as the emotional toll when their loved ones are no longer with us.

“Thanks to supporters like Angus, MND Scotland can continue to support families affected by MND and help them create precious memories. Taking on two marathons within a few months is quite an achievement. From everyone at MND Scotland, thank you Angus!”.

If you would like to support Angus, please visit his JustGiving page to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/angus-mcdonald-8

If you would like to sign up to next year’s EMF event and support MND Scotland, please visit: https://www.edinburghmarathon.com/

For more information about MND Scotland, how we can support you or your family, or if you’re interested in taking on a fundraising challenge, please visit: www.mndscotland.org.uk, email: info@mndscotland.org.uk, or call: 0141 332 3903.