Laidlaw completes one quarter of year-long challenge

Scotland Club International stand-off Chris Laidlaw completed his third charity marathon of the year yesterday – and it was his toughest yet.

Laidlaw, son of the former Scotland and British & Irish Lions scrum-half, Roy Laidlaw, began 2021 with his first ever marathon and followed up with his second marathon at the end of February.

His plan, dubbed 12 in 12, is to complete a marathon each month this year to raise funds for three charities which mean a lot to him: the Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation; Marie Curie; and Alzheimer’s Scotland.

So, at the weekend, with fellow Club internationalist Jordan Edmunds and another Boroughmuir player Murray Johnstone, he set out from Colinton Road in Edinburgh for a different 26-mile route via the Union Canal and Ratho Marina to the Forth Road Bridge before an about turn back to Meggetland.

Laidlaw said: “It was the toughest one by far.The wind made it hard going.For the first ten kilometres we were running into a head wind.Then it was a crosswind from Ratho out to the bridge and even heading back we still had that crosswind.

The last ten kilometres the wind was behind us, but the damage had been done by then!
Chris Laidlaw

Craig Keddie, another Boroughmuir team-mate, ran part of the distance yesterday and was responsible for some music to inspire the runners en route.

“Yeah, he had music at various points, and he played Highland Cathedral just as we were finishing,” Laidlaw explained.“By that point I was pretty emotional anyway, but that tune had been played at my mum’s funeral, so it led to a few tears.”

Laidlaw reckoned he completed his third marathon in around 4hours 45 minutes.

Depending on public health restrictions, he hopes to run his April marathon in Fife and his May marathon in the Borders, finishing in his home town of Jedburgh.

Laidlaw, who is a coach with Edinburgh Rugby’s Academy, had set an original fund-raising target of £3,000 but has already smashed that and his revised target of £8,000 has also been surpassed.Now more than £9,000 has been raised and he is considering upping the target to £12,000.

He is undertaking his epic challenge to thank the three charities, following his mum, Joy’s death through cancer, dad Roy’s diagnosis with dementia and support for his family from the Murrayfield Injured Players’ Foundation.

You can find out more about 12 in 12 and donate to support Laidlaw via his Just Giving page.