A LIFELONG Hearts fan will run from Tynecastle Park to Ibrox Stadium this weekend.

Craig McBride, better known as the “Jogging Jambo”, is set to take on his biggest challenge yet when he will run 50 miles to raise money for MND Scotland.

The 29-year-old who lives a goal kicks distance from the pitch at Tynecastle, first started running six years ago but soon decided that he wanted to take the sport more seriously.

Glasgow Times:

Shortly after the partnership between Hearts and MND Scotland was announced, which sees the charity’s logo on the front of the team’s 2021/22 kit, Craig decided that he wanted to support the new sponsor.

To ensure his training had the biggest impact possible, Craig started running the result of every game played by Hearts this season and so far, has run a total of 377km.

Following the team’s 5-0 result against Auchinleck Talbot, his next challenge will be running 50 miles from Tynecastle Park to Ibrox Stadium, arriving just in time to catch the Rangers vs Hearts match.

When asked about his inspiration for the challenge, Craig said: “I was living in Vietnam at the time and Hearts had just won 2-1 against Celtic. It was morning and I thought I would go for a run. I remember that the sun was coming up and before I realised it, I had run 16km and thought well, I might as well do 21km and run the same distance as the score.

“At first it was just for a bit of fun and a way to challenge myself, then Hearts won 5-2 against Dundee United. At that point, I could have just stopped, but I realised the 52km was roughly the distance to the next game at Motherwell. So, I decided to run there from the outskirts of Edinburgh and at that point made the challenge a fundraiser to support MND Scotland.

“Up until now, the longest run I have done is 30 miles but with this next run, I am really trying to step things up, to raise more money and make a bigger impact.”

In December, Hearts held MND Day with support from Rangers FC.

Craig and good friend Jamie did their bit and brought smiles to the faces of the MND Scotland fundraising team and bucket collection volunteers when they arrived in true "Jogging Jambo" style.

Glasgow Times:

Craig said: “I think the partnership with MND Scotland signals how the values of the club have changed for the better since we became fan-owned.

“Just seeing the MND Scotland logo on the shirt alone and thinking about how much awareness that must be raising is a great feeling and makes me feel extremely proud.

“Zal was very much a hero to me. He was my favourite player and like the rest of the Hearts community, I was devastated when he passed away. So, for me as a fan, the partnership between Hearts and MND Scotland is hugely inspirational.”

Craig has generated more than £1700 so far.

Iain McWhirter, head of fundraising at MND Scotland, said: “It’s wonderful to hear how the partnership between Hearts and MND Scotland has inspired Craig to take on this huge. He really is going the extra mile to support his team.

“If you can, please support Craig’s fundraising to ensure that MND Scotland is able to support individuals and families affected by this devastating disease.”

To donate, click here.