Come together: Honouring Pat with music, community and fundraising at The Beatles Marathon

When Pat McGachan was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) in 2021, his family knew they wanted to do something positive in the face of adversity. Inspired by Pat’s love of The Beatles, his three children Stuart, Scott and Clare, founded The Beatles Marathon - an all-day long community fundraising music event where bands from across Scotland play The Beatles’ full catalogue in chronological order, from Please Please Me at 12pm, all the way through to Abbey Road and Let It Be 10 hours later.

Pat sadly didn't live to see the very first Beatles Marathon in 2023, dying just days before it took place. However, the event still went ahead as planned and has now become an annual fixture, with this year's marathon taking place on Saturday 14 November at Portobello Town Hall. Three years on, the family have so far raised over £20,000 for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, rallying musicians, friends and Beatles fans in a lasting tribute to Pat - whose love of music and bringing people together continues to shape the event into what it is today.

Music has always been a huge part of life for the McGachans. Growing up in Edinburgh, siblings Stuart, Scott and Clare were surrounded by records and instruments as Pat shared his passion with his family, shaping their childhood with songs by Simon & Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, Gerry Rafferty, and of course, The Beatles.

Reminiscing, Scott said: “We’d have these endless conversations at the dinner table about The Beatles, the sixties, and what it was like to be at the forefront of everything happening when Dad was growing up - how exciting that was and the cultural movement that went around it.”

Stuart added: “Learning music from a young age was important for my Mum and Dad. They knew it would help us learn and connect with the world and appreciate art and culture. Growing up, I watched my Dad get the guitar out and sing a lot at parties. I think he wanted to show that if you learn an instrument, you can bring something positive to the table and create memories.”

Scott echoed this: “I grew up watching him play guitar and that’s probably what inspired me to take up music, and just make sure music was in my bones. Dad was always interested in our music too, as me and Stuart played in our own bands as teenagers and into our late twenties. He was always encouraging us.”

A devoted husband, father, grandfather and father-in-law, Pat embraced life with enthusiasm, whether that was planning holidays, organising gatherings or playing five-a-side football well into his sixties.

"I always say that he was my Dad, but he was also my best friend, and he was my hero," Scott declared. "He just loved life, there's no other way to put it. Life was for living - he was always looking for the next adventure."

That outlook on life remained unchanged, even after Pat received his MND diagnosis in 2021.

"It turned our world upside down," Stuart said, "for someone who was always active and able to help, to suddenly needing 24-hour care, was incredibly hard to swallow. Nothing like this had happened to our family before. We all just wanted to show up in the best way we could."

Despite the challenges that came with living with MND, Pat was determined to make the most of the time he had left.

"There were times you could see Dad was close to giving up, but then he'd pull himself together and still wanted to go on holidays," Scott recalled. "It was more difficult, practically, and it was a really traumatic time, but we crammed a lot into those last two years because he didn’t want to be stopped or defined by the disease.

"It's kind of comforting to know Dad made the most of the time that he had, but it's sad as well that somebody who makes the most of their time here on Earth can have that cut short by such a cruel illness."

Stuart went on: "As a family we pulled together, rolled up our sleeves and took each day as it came. If there were any positives, it brought us all closer together to understand each other, and to learn about the disease and understand what other families are going through to offer our support."

When the family received Pat's diagnosis, there was never any doubt that fundraising would become part of their story.

"I don't think there was even a conversation about 'if', it was always 'what are we going to do here to fundraise?'" said Scott.

For Stuart, who lives across the pond in Columbus, Ohio, being thousands of miles away during Pat’s illness was tough. Looking for a way to help, he drew inspiration from an event in his adopted hometown.

"There's a brilliant event in my current hometown of Colombus called Sgt. Peppercorn's Marathon," Stuart explained, "which local musician Joe Peppercorn started back in 2010, where the whole Beatles catalogue is played in one go by one band. I loved the concept and always wanted to take Dad to it."

Travelling out to the US was no longer realistic for Pat, so the family decided to bring the idea to Scotland instead, and thus The Beatles Marathon was born. This year's event is taking place on Saturday 14 November at Portobello Town Hall, and Scott himself is part of one of the bands who will be performing on the day, playing the 1965 Help! album.

"Being so far away when Dad was ill was really hard, I found it difficult not being at home to help in some way," Stuart described. "Putting the marathon together gave me something positive to pour that energy into."

Preparation for each year's marathon starts about ten months in advance.

"I wouldn't say we've bitten off more than we can chew, but it's definitely turned out to be a bigger logistical project than we anticipated," Scott acknowledged. "It takes up a huge chunk of our time but it's always felt worth it, particularly with the sums of money we've raised for My Name'5 Doddie Foundation."

Stuart continued: "After what we went through, we want to do everything we can to help contribute to the end of this disease. We’re proud to be associated with a charity that has advanced research and created such positivity.”

The first Beatles Marathon was planned whilst Pat was still alive, but he died nine days before it took place, on 16 November 2023. However, the family never considered cancelling the event.

"It felt even more important to go ahead," Stuart stated, "and the day became a celebration of his life. Having so many people there singing along to the music he loved was emotional but also a real comfort."

Scott added: "There's a lot of emotion behind the event, and a lot of sadness, but at the same time it's turning something that's been adversity into something that's really fun and that brings people together. The event is something Dad would love to be a part of, and we can picture him being there in his absolute element.”

This year, a moment where Pat's presence will be particularly felt, will come when Scott plays a song featuring his Dad’s vocals.

Around a decade ago, Pat recorded his own version of I've Just Seen a Face by The Beatles. The vocal recording then sat untouched for years, until Scott rediscovered it on his hard drive, and with help from friends and family, turned it into a fully fleshed out track.

"It was almost like getting one last chance to spend the day with my Dad," Scott said. "He was there, his voice was there and we were talking about his vocals as if he was sitting there with us pulling the track together. It'll be a really emotional moment when we play it because his voice is just so clear, I'll get teary with it because I'll be getting to hear my voice harmonising with my Dad's one more time."

You can listen to Pat's version of I've Just Seen a Face on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and all other streaming platforms too.

Now in its third year, The Beatles Marathon continues to honour Pat and his memory, all whilst raising funds for MND research.

This year's Beatles Marathon is on Saturday 14 November at Portobello Town Hall, with doors open at 12pm and kids’ activities taking place from 12-5pm. Tickets are available at beatlesmarathon.com.