A good friend was diagniossed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) last year, he is gregarious, intelligent, witty, husband and father of two. His condition has inspired me to run the marathon again, its an honour and a pleasure to be doing it for such an important cause, but to be quite honest I'm doing this for Andrew and his family.

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive disease that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting.

MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. However, not all symptoms necessarily happen to everyone and it is unlikely they will all develop at the same time, or in any specific order.

Although there is currently no cure for MND, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life.

This is where the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) comes in, their support is of unrivaled importance to the people suffering this disease and to their families.

I have set myself a mountain of a fundraising target because this is bigger than just me, its more than just a run, its now a mission that I will stay on until completed.

Please, please, give all you can.