DODDIE Aid 2023, the virtual mass-participation exercise event founded by former Scotland captain Rob Wainwright, is under way.

And it will last for six weeks.

Already almost 35,000 people have signed up and raised more than £700,000 by completing well over half a million miles.

Any exercise counts, with the winning district being the one with the most miles at the end of the event.

North and Midlands led throughout December, but a rallying call from Hawick’s Stuart Hogg saw his Team South overtake Eve Muirhead’s team in the run up to the kick off.

However, North and Midlands regained top stop on the leader board on Hogmanay and have retained that place after the first week.

North and Midlands have 7,519 members who have completed 144,323 miles and have raised £159.890.

Team South have 7,311 members who have completed 141,578 miles and have raised £148,316.

 

Team Barbarians, captained by SAS Who Dares Wins star Jason Fox, have 6905 members who have completed 125,876 miles and have raised £138,580.

Team Edinburgh, captained by Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, have 6068 members who have completed 111,369 miles and have raised £122,217

Team Glasgow, managed by Ryan Wilson, has 4,277 members who have completed 68,679 miles and has raised £86,738

And Team Wales, captained by Welsh rugby legend Scott Quinnell, has 2349 members who have completed 43,881 miles and has raised £46,740.

So now after one week Doddie Aid currently has 34,844 members who have completed 635,932 miles and have raised £702,501.

All the money raised will go to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation which invests in research to find meaningful treatments for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Over the last two years, the event has accumulated £2million for the Foundation.

And Hogg is appealing for more Borderers to join his team.

The Hawick man said: “All the work that he has done for Motor Neurone Disease and the My name’5 Doddie Foundation is just the beginning.

“We are going to kick start, we are going to increase it and make it even bigger and better than it was before.

“And that starts with Doddie Aid 2023. Please get involved. Download the app ‘Doddie Aid’ and run, swim, cycle, canoe, whatever you want to do, get involved.”