“At the end of the challenge, if I’m tired or hurting, that’s temporary. What people with MND go through isn’t. That’s why I’m doing it.”

Kevin Morrison, 39, from Elgin, is set to take on an incredible feat at this year’s Edinburgh Marathon Festival (EMF). He will complete all four distances across one weekend to raise funds in support of MND Scotland, and in honour of his dad, Ronald.

Kevin will tackle the EMF 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon across the two‑day event on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May 2026, covering a total distance of over 78.3kilometres.

The challenge comes just months after Kevin’s father, Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Morrison, died in February this year, aged 74, following a diagnosis of motor neuron disease (MND) in July 2025.

Kevin said, “I wanted to do something epic for charity. As much as I’m going to suffer and struggle, that’s nothing compared to what people like my dad and others go through.”

Kevin is a keen, experienced runner and has completed multiple long‑distance challenges. He previously ran the Edinburgh Marathon Festival in both 2017 and 2025 in memory of his mum, who passed away from cancer in 2000.

He said, “The EMF was my first ever marathon in 2017. I took part in memory of my mum, and then last year I did it again as it was 25 years since she passed away. I really enjoy Edinburgh as a marathon. It’s somewhere I’ve always loved running. And after my dad was diagnosed with MND, I just thought, why not do something that really pushes me, that can actually make a difference?”

The upcoming challenge coincides with Kevin’s 40th birthday, “I’m 39 just now, but I’ll be 40 by the time marathon weekend comes around. I had big goals race‑wise this year, and then I got injured in January and thought, ‘That’s my year over.’ But I managed to rebuild and complete the Manchester Marathon in April, which gave me confidence that my body could still handle the strain.”

Kevin’s dad, Ronnie, was diagnosed with MND in July 2025, following several months of unexplained symptoms, “He’d lost weight, his speech had gone. We just assumed it was a stroke and that things might improve over time. But his speech didn’t come back; he was struggling to swallow, and there was added weakness. That’s when my aunties pushed for him to go to the hospital.”

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal neurological illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This causes muscle weakness and wasting. MND can rob someone of the ability to walk, talk, swallow and breathe. The average life expectancy of someone with MND is just 18 months from diagnosis. There is no cure or meaningful treatments.

Kevin added, “My dad passed away on 28 February 2026. He had a community alarm, and when things started going downhill, we ended up in the hospital. His oxygen was dropping, carbon dioxide was going up, and there was just nothing they could do. I was with him the whole night. It was very quick.”

Ronnie worked for Scottish Water and then took on local driving jobs before retiring in 2018.

Kevin describes his dad as a quiet, deeply loyal man whose passions were football and music, “He was a massive football fan. His house was covered in memorabilia, including programmes that go back years and years, all meticulously kept in order. Music was his other big passion. He and my uncle had this running rivalry over who had the most records.”

“He wasn’t a man of many words when it came to achievements, but I know he would’ve been proud. He probably would’ve just said I was off my head for doing it, and to be fair, that’s probably true!”

Kevin has already surpassed his fundraising target for MND Scotland, thanks to donations from friends, family, and supporters.

Kevin hopes his story will help raise more awareness about MND, “I’d heard of MND through football and sport, but I didn’t really understand it until it hit our family. If doing this helps raise awareness or support people going through it right now, then it’s worth every step.”

“I’m not breaking any records, and I’m definitely not the fastest out there. The goal is just to get to the finish line. I’ll deal with whatever comes and finish it”.

MND Scotland would like to thank Kevin for his support and for taking on the challenge. If you would like to donate and support him by donating, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/kev-morrison-emfhairy2026

If you would like to make time count for families affected by MND and take on a challenge to help raise funds, please visit www.mndscotland.org.uk or email: fundraising@mndscotland.org.uk for more information.