Veteran Lindsey running length of Britain at home in Shropshire for the NHS

Lindsey Smith stays at RAF Shawbury and took on the challenge of running around the base to support NHS Charities Together for the work of the health service during the coronavirus pandemic.

She is well on her way to her target of running the length of the country, from Land's End to John o' Groats.

"At the beginning of the lockdown I went for a little run, I thought about it. My sister works in A&E, she said it has been really busy and she has done a lot of big shifts.

"I thought: 'instead of sitting around, what could I do?' I thought of running from here to my hometown in Llanelli, but I decided to run the length of Great Britain – because we're all in it together.

"I started on April 1, I'm out pretty much each day."

Lindsey has calculated she will have to run 1,407km altogether, the equivalent of a little over 33 marathons.

She is an RAF reservist, having left the army 15 years ago to raise her three sons, and has been running 2km laps around the quarters at RAF Shawbury. She clocks up between 10k and 30k most days and has less than 400km to go.

"Last week I did back-to-back half marathons. I feel like I'm Forrest Gump, everyone knows about it now.

"It feels like I can see the light now, as soon as I got to 1,000k.

"I've been out in all sorts of weather, we've had all sorts during lockdown.

"It is the hardest challenge I've ever done in my life, but it has been rewarding as well."

Lindsey's husband Glen and her three sons have been supporting her, taking time out individually to run alongside and clock up their own kilometres. They have even made a league out of it, with 13-year-old Asher leading his brothers Abner, 15, and Lucas, 14.

"The support I have had – I have three teenage boys and during the lockdown they have been fantastic.

"Once this is over, I don't think I'll ever run again!"

Lindsey's online fundraiser is still running and so far has taken almost £800. Visit bit.ly/3fKo71w to learn more and to donate.