People living with Motor Neurone Disease go through so much everyday so I want to do my bit to help

Graeme Smeaton will walk the equivalent of a marathon a day, cover 125-miles in total and hit around 2,000 shots, with a target of raising £25,000 towards MND research. The 41-year-old put the plan in motion after partnering with the charity to launch a limited-edition Doddie tartan range via his clothing company Royal & Awesome earlier in the year.

The Morningside man got permission from several East Lothian golf courses including Gullane, Luffness and Longniddry to tee off at the break of dawn to carry out his challenge. Graeme said he usually plays 10 rounds of golf across the entire year but is ready to take on the ‘gruelling’ challenge which runs from Monday, June 2 to Friday, June 6.

Graeme Smeaton will play five full rounds of golf every day for five consecutive days to raise money for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation | My Name'5 Doddie Foundation

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Graeme said: “These courses are where I fell in love with golf, so to take on this challenge here, for a cause as meaningful as My Name’5 Doddie Foundation’s feels incredibly special.

“I’m aiming to raise £25,000 but the main goal is to raise awareness of the incredible work the foundation does to raise vital funds for MND research. This is nothing compared to what people living with MND go through every day. I just want to do my bit – and hopefully inspire donations along the way.”

Graeme will be donning Royal & Awesome’s limited-edition Doddie tartan range throughout the challenge, with 15 per cent of each sale going directly to support MND research. The Edinburgh man will also be joined by a rotating cast of supporters and friends, including former Scotland rugby internationals John Barclay, Andy Irvine, and Roger Baird. Also joining will be friends and family of MND campaigner Scott Stewart, who lost his battle with MND in December 2024.

Speaking to the Evening News, Graeme said: “I probably play golf socially on average 10 times a year, so this is a big step up from that. I think playing five rounds on the first day will probably be pretty tough. But then going to bed and getting five hours sleep before doing it all again for five days will be pretty gruelling.

“Then there's the unknown of what my swing is going to be like after playing for that length time. But I’ll be trying to keep it down the middle to make the walking distances as short as possible. I’ll just keep on keeping on.

“I looked at when the sun rises and sets this time of year and it rises about 4.30am and sets about 10 pm. That gives me exactly three and a half hours to do each round plus traveling between the courses, so I'll be starting at 4.30am and the last round will start at 6.30pm. I’m hoping to finish around 9.30pm which should get me a few hours sleep each night.”

Paul Thompson, fundraising and communications firector at My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “Graeme’s challenge is bold, brilliant, and full of heart – exactly the kind of energy Doddie brought to life. We’re incredibly grateful for his support and can’t wait to see him take on all 25 rounds. He’s doing something extraordinary to help fund vital research and raise awareness of MND.”

You can support Graeme Smeaton’s fundraiser by visiting the Just Giving website and follow his social media channels for updates.