Marathon Challenge: MBA alum supporting Motor Neurone Disease

What began as a simple act of friendship has grown into something far bigger.

For Warwick Business School Executive MBA alum Alistair Crawford, taking on two marathons in two weeks is not just a test of endurance, it is a commitment to a friend, a lesson in leadership, and a refusal to let a diagnosis define what is still possible.

Alongside a team of runners, Alistair will push his close friend Jon Over through both the TCS London Marathon and the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in a purpose-built racing wheelchair. Jon, a former Royal Navy colleague, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) at 42. Instead of focusing on what has been lost, the team has focused on what can still be achieved, together.

A bond forged in service

Alistair and Jon first met while serving in the Royal Navy, where Alistair was a helicopter pilot and Jon part of the aircraft engineering team. They deployed together to the Gulf, spending time in Bahrain and aboard RFA Cardigan Bay – experiences that built a lasting strong bond.

“Friendships like that are built on trust, shared experience, and a deep sense of loyalty,” Alistair says. “When Jon was diagnosed, the conversation quickly shifted away from what had been lost to what we could still do together.”

Jon had always wanted to run a marathon. While MND meant he could no longer do so unaided, Alistair saw another way.

“That was the spark of an idea. We knew it was possible and I felt able to take on the challenge of helping Jon participate in a marathon.”

From two runners to a movement

What started as a challenge between two friends has grown into Team Jon Over, a community of more than 20 runners raising funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Inspired by the remarkable achievements of Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow—two widely respected former rugby league players from the UK known for their extraordinary endurance fundraising challenges and advocacy around motor neurone disease—the team has set itself the ambitious goal of completing two full marathons within just two weeks.

The physical challenge is considerable. In London, Alistair will push Jon the entire 26.2 miles himself, supported by runners and friends along the route. In Leeds, where the course is more demanding and far hillier, the team will rotate, sometimes requiring multiple runners to push at once.

“It may hurt,” Alistair admits. “But we will get through that. What matters is that we’ll share something extraordinary with Jon and create memories that will stay with us forever.”

For Alistair, the challenge is not just physical, it is also an expression of leadership shaped by both his military career and his time at Warwick Business School.

“My experience in the Royal Navy gave me a foundation of leadership forged in demanding environments,” he explains. “But my MBA at WBS built on that and elevated it to a more strategic level. It shifted my perspective from leading teams to creating the conditions in which teams can thrive.”

That mindset has been central to the growth of Team Jon Over.

Rather than tightly controlling every aspect of the initiative, Alistair has enabled others to take ownership, creating a decentralised movement built on a shared purpose.

“From the outset, it was clear that this wasn’t something that should be tightly controlled from the centre,” he says. “It was about empowering people to contribute in ways that felt meaningful to them.”

The result is a team that has grown organically, united by trust, resilience, and a shared commitment to Jon.

The power of the Warwick network

The Warwick community has played a significant role in supporting Jon’s journey.

Through connections he made during the Executive MBA, Alistair helped Jon — a devoted Arsenal fan — experience opportunities that would otherwise have been out of reach.

With support from one of Alistair’s fellow WBS alumni, Jon attended a Champions League match at the Emirates Stadium as a guest of the club and was later invited to a first‑team training session, where he met players and staff.

“Moments like that are hugely meaningful,” Alistair says. “They create memories that will stay with Jon and his family forever.”

It is a powerful example of how the Warwick network extends beyond professional connections, enabling acts of generosity that have a lasting personal impact.

At its heart, Team Jon Over is about far more than running.

While the team hopes to raise significant funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, the deeper purpose is to give Jon joy, purpose, and the chance to live as fully as possible.

“A successful year is simple,” Alistair says. “It’s Jon living as well as he can, for as long as he can, surrounded by people who care about him.”

The marathons are part of that, but so too are the moments along the way: the shared effort, the laughter, and the memories being created together.

For the Warwick community, Alistair hopes the message is clear.

“There are no guarantees of tomorrow. What we have is today and how we choose to live it. Invest in people, follow what matters to you, and don’t wait for a ‘right moment’ that may never come.”

Find out more about Team Jon Over. 

Discover more about the School’s Change Makers.