Kenny Logan prepares for cycling challenge for Doddie charity

Scottish rugby legend Kenny Logan is preparing to lead a 555-mile cycling challenge around Ireland in memory of his friend and former teammate, Doddie Weir, OBE. 

The event aims to raise over £500,000 for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association. 

Logan will be joined by Doddie’s son, Hamish Weir, and more than 50 fundraisers, celebrities and former players on Doddie’s Lions Challenge – a week-long endurance ride inspired by the camaraderie and iconic spirit of a British & Irish Lions tour. 

Among the famous names saddling up are Scottish football legend Ally McCoist, broadcaster Gabby Logan, and Battlestar Galactica actor Jamie Bamber.  

The team will cycle approximately 100 miles a day across some of Ireland’s most scenic and historic rugby heartlands.  

Stops will include origin clubs of famous Irish Lions players, with the challenge concluding at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, where the team will deliver the match ball ahead of Ireland’s summer international against Argentina on Friday, June 20 for the 1888 Cup.  

Logan, who lost close friend Weir to motor neuron disease in 2022, said: “We’re not walking this time – I hated that part! We’re doing it to raise money, yes – but more than that, we’re doing it to give hope to people living with MND. Hope that we’re getting closer to a cure. 

“Since Doddie died, awareness has grown massively, but fundraising remains pivotal to maintain momentum. The Foundation has now committed nearly £20 million to MND research – which is fantastic, but it’s only the beginning. Doddie would be proud – but he’d also be telling us to go further, faster. Until there’s a cure, we keep going. That’s what he would want, and it’s what we owe him.”  

Paul Thompson, Director of Fundraising at My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, said: “We’re immensely proud to have committed almost £20 million to research, but there’s still a long way to go. The only way we can invest in more research is through fundraising. 

“Kenny’s drive and his ability to bring people together – from all corners of the MND community and beyond – is incredible. The money raised by this challenge will make a real difference in our pursuit of effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for MND. We’d love everybody to get behind it.”  

Earlier this year, the Foundation made its biggest single investment to date, committing £4 million to four pioneering MND research projects through its Discovery Network. The investment forms part of the charity’s bold Catalysing a Cure strategy, which aims to accelerate scientific breakthroughs in the search for a cure. 

To support Doddie’s Lions Challenge, click here.