DODDIE Aid 2024 is well and truly under way, with the North and Mids Scotland team out in front on the leaderboard for miles covered.

Skippered by former Olympic curler Eve Muirhead, members have travelled more than 57,600 miles since the event’s launch on January 1, raising around £85,000 so far.

The Edinburgh team – led by Scotland captain – have completed approximately 45,000 miles on the way to making more than £67,000.

The South Scotland team narrowly lead the Barbarians and Glasgow outfits for miles. Captained by ex-Scotland skipper Kelly Brown, members of the side covering the Borders have travelled over 38,000 miles to raise around £50,000.

The Barbarians, led by presenter Kelly Cates, have raised approximately £47,000 through their members covering around 33,000 miles.

Fellow presenter Eilidh Barbour’s Glasgow have made around £48,000 by their members journeying 31,000 miles.

Scott Quinnell-skippered Wales have raised approximately £20,000 and covered 13,000 miles.

Doddie Aid founder Rob Wainwright, himself a former Scotland captain, called on the 20,000 people who had not signed up to this year’s event but had done previously to get involved.

“Let’s get you signed up, download the app, tell all your friends, form a league and have a lot of fun through January,” he said in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

The virtual mass-participation exercise event runs for five weeks.

It all comes to a close with a celebration around the Doddie Weir Cup between Wales and Scotland at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

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

Almost 80,000 participants have covered more than eight million miles and raised around £4 million for motor neurone disease (MND) research across the last three Doddie Aids.

Borderer Brown said: “Doddie Aid is back and it’s a fantastic way to start the year to get active and raise funds for the My name’5 Doddie Foundation.

“This January thousands of people are going to sign up. So I would encourage you to sign up, get involved and get active.

“And I would encourage you to raise as much money as you can for the fight against MND.”