The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
From Ibrox to Pittodrie: Fan on the ball for charity effort
Run: MS Society to benefit from cash
A diehard Rangers fan will do more than walk a mile in his team’s boots as he replicates their next trip to Pittodrie in his running shoes.
David Smith has been a fan of the Govan side since he was a boy and has used his fandom to inspire a gruelling fundraising drive, which will involve him running five ultramarathons from Ibrox to Aberdeen.
Mr Smith, who lives in Kirkintilloch, will be taking on the daunting challenge to raise cash for MS Society Scotland – an organisation close to his heart as his wife Jamie has been living with the disease since 2008.
The Rangers Charity Foundation will also benefit.
The run begins on February 2 and finishes on February 6, ahead of the clubs’ crunch Scottish Premiership evening clash.
While many would find the challenge of running consecutive ultramarathons daunting, the 52-year-old is looking forward to the task.
He said: “I run to clear my head and be on my own so setting these kinds of challenges is something I really enjoy.
“To be honest, the training is always the hardest part. Fifteen miles on a winter evening after finishing work isn’t always easy but it’s absolutely worth it.”
This will be the latest challenge Mr Smith has taken on, after he ran 20 marathons between Ibrox and his home on Rangers match days for the same two charities.
Morna Simpkins, director of MS Society Scotland, said: “We just want to say a huge thank you to David for his continued support in this, quite literally, breathtaking challenge.”
Connal Cochrane, director of the foundation, said: “David has been an incredible supporter of ours for some time and we are delighted that he has chosen to fundraise once again, in what I’m sure is going to be a really tough running challenge – even by David’s standards.”