Ayr student will run every month for charity

Feb 6 2009

HE’S the fundraiser who caught the fitness bug.

And Stuart Greig is so keen to challenge himself, he’s doing it 12 times over.

The Ayr student doesn’t have just one goal – he’s got them coming out his ears.

Now he’s setting out on a year-long adventure to raise as much as he can for a charity close to his heart.

But this is no ordinary fundraising tale.

Stuart, 26, is running a long distance race every month this year in aid of the Scottish Cot Death Trust.

The effort is in memory of his brother Martin, who passed away at the age of just three months.

And as someone who didn’t know the meaning of the word “run” before January, Stuart’s leaping in at the deep end.

“I guess it’s like a prolonged New Year’s resolution to stay fit,” laughed Stuart, as he trotted alongside the River Ayr.

“I was probably at my most unfit when I started this and I’d never been a runner in my life.

“But I wanted to do something challenging and at the moment I’m finding it easy to focus because I have 12 goals, rather than just the one.”

But will Stuart find his 6am training runs as much fun a year down the line?

Or will his fundraising idea, which seemed great at the time, turn into a physical nightmare?

“I’m pretty confident I can get into a rhythm,” insisted Stuart.

“At the moment I’m running every two days and building things up slowly.

“My first event was the Great Winter Run in Edinburgh, which was only 5k, but I’m looking to reach half marathon distance later in the year.

“My only problem will be injuries and I’m already feeling a bit of pain in the foot, so hopefully I can avoid that.

“But if I have to sit out for a while then I can always do two runs in a month to keep up with the schedule.”

Stuart, who’s studying a postgraduate diploma in primary teaching, has even ditched beer in his bid to get in shape.

And he admits the importance of this year pushed him to get up and go for the good cause.

He revealed: “My sister is getting married this year and she is Martin’s twin. Plus he would have been 25 this year, so it just got me thinking.

“The Cot Death Trust isn’t a charity that gets a lot of media coverage and I wanted to do something for them, while obviously it means a lot to me.

“They helped my mum and dad tremendously through a very tough time and I want to give something back.”

Stuart’s fundraising efforts have already soared past the £600 mark with friends and family piling in to support his bid.

Lynne Mackenzie, community fundraiser for the trust, revealed: “We are delighted that Stuart is supporting the Scottish Cot Death Trust and his donation really will help us make a difference to many families throughout Scotland.

“We desperately need people like Stuart to raise money and join our fight against cot death in Scotland. We cannot thank him enough.”

And any readers who want to join with their support can visit www.justgiving/stuartjohngreig