Dear Family & Friends.

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page and for taking the time to support an important cause. Any donation you can make is greatly appreciated.

Last year, my youngest siblings - adorable twinnies Rona & Keith - ran the London and Chicago marathons respectively to raise money for Autism research (Rona's beautiful wee son Tommy was diagnosed with Autism in 2007) and in doing so, selfishly left me as the only Sutherland child not to have achieved such an undertaking; my other brother Stuart ran the Glasgow marathon in the 1980s in some ridiculous time of an hour and a half. Or something.

Incredibly, and much to my eternal surprise, their efforts have inspired me to get off the couch, quit smoking, join a gym, and do my bit to regain my rightful place as the Sutherland 'golden child'.. um.. I mean, help the National Autistic Society (NAS) who've been a wonderful source of support and guidance to Rona and her husband Al since Tommy's diagnosis. Accordingly, I have started "training" and will be "running" the London Marathon on April 26th this year after securing a place in support of the NAS.

To give me support on the day, Rona will once again be running (she knows the route/short cuts) and together we've pledged to raise as much money as we can for this fantastic charity. To give me support until then and help get my sorry ass out the door to "train", please sponsor me to help reach my fundraising target. No donation is too big or too small and every penny counts. Here comes the science bit...

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's also the most efficient way to sponsor me. The NAS gets your money faster and, if you're a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Cheers and many thanks in advance for any support you can offer.

Neil x

P.S. Go to www.neilrunstheblog.blogspot.com to find out how my 'training' is going.

STOP PRESS... Marathon completed in 5:56:28... just one short hour after Rona!