North-east dads to run ultra marathon in aid of brain injury charities
Seven dads from Banchory will take on a gruelling 100km ultra marathon to raise funds and awareness for those affected by brain injuries.
Inspired by the remarkable recovery and rehabilitation of the wife of the run’s co-founder, who suffered a major brain injury in 2022, the dads aim to raise £10,000 for three specialist facilities that saved mum-of-three Morag’s life.
The Banchory 100 run will see the dads take on a challenging but beautiful route from Banchory, up Hill of Fare, through Torphins and Potarch and onwards to the top of Clachnaben.
From there, the highest, and halfway point of the route, they will ascend Kerloch, Cairn-mon-earn and Rhindbuckie, continue down through Strachan and on to Hill of Gauch before the ascent to the top of Scolty and final descent to finish in Banchory’s King George V Park.
Run co-founder Martin MacRae said: “I knew I wanted to do something to raise funds and awareness for the three specialist facilities that saved Morag’s life, and to recognise the trauma our family has been through, but it wasn’t until an evening walk up Scolty in June last year with my friend John Pope, that the Banchory 100 was born.
“I am a keen runner, but John had taken on several previous running challenges, and it was while talking through ideas and taking in the views of surrounding hills from the top of Scolty - with the idea generating power of a couple of cans of beer – we wondered, could we run them all?”
Nearly one in three people will suffer a brain injury in their lives, these include strokes, aneurysms, encephalitis and haemorrhages.
It was in October 2022, while on a family holiday in Australia that Morag was taken ill.
Rushed to hospital with severe swelling on the brain, the pressure inside her skull was life threatening.
She underwent an emergency craniectomy to remove a large part of her skull, which relieved the pressure.
This surgery saved her life, but by that point, her brain had already suffered a major injury.
When Morag woke up, she could not talk, and her right arm and leg would not move.
Over the next six weeks, she received incredible care from the team at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, and, on December 1, was well enough to be medically transferred back home to Aberdeen.
The team in Brisbane had helped Morag regain some movement in her arm and leg, and some of her speech.
She spent a further two and a half months in hospital in Aberdeen, in ARI, and then the Neuro Rehab Unit at Woodend Hospital.
The teams there helped Morag progress her rehabilitation even further and, on February 22, exactly four months after going into hospital, she was discharged and allowed to return home.
Morag continued to receive outpatient rehab support from both NRU, and Horizons Rehabilitation Centre, which allowed her to get back to her "normal" life.
Martin added: “Without the care and support of the teams in Brisbane and Aberdeen, Morag wouldn't be where she is now.
“I want to show our endearing thanks by raising vital funds for the Friends of the Neuro Ward and Horizons Rehabilitation Centre here in Aberdeen, and the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital Foundation in Australia.
“To be doing this with the support of an awesome group of local dads makes it something pretty special.”
Martin and John will be joined on their Banchory 100 challenge by Pete Torrance, Stuart Watt, Andy Leslie, Carlos Mejuto and David Stockan.
Visit https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/2520/banchory-100-ultra-marathon-for-brain-injury-rehab/ to donate to the challenge.
