AN ARMY doctor is hoping to return from Romania in time to take her place on the start line for a gruelling race.

Kayleigh McMillan left Scotland last week as she travelled to Romania for a NATO exercise as part of the Royal Engineers.

She is due to be away for two months but hopes to be back in time for the Race to the Castle, which will see competitors cover 100 kilometres through moorlands and ancient woodlands before finishing at Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland.

Ahead of the challenge, which she is taking on in aid of Blesma – an armed forces non-profit charity supporting limbless veterans in the UK for the duration of their lives – Kayleigh has been clocking up the kilometres.

Speaking to the Courier, she said: “We are all running 100 kilometres in one go – no rest in the middle.

“My aim is to do it in the best part of about 15 hours.

“It might take longer, you cannot practice for this, but I am expecting to make it for about 15 hours.

“You start off on the Saturday and you have got until Sunday night to finish but hopefully I’ll be done before then.”

The former Knox Academy pupil was hopeful of being back from Romania in time for the race but was keen to ensure that there were no complications with coronavirus restrictions.

In the meantime, Kayleigh has been lacing up her running shoes to ensure she would reach the 100-kilometre target – with a 45-kilometre run at the beginning of the month before a 55-kilometre run over the weekend.

She said: “I think it is one of those things where you know it is going to be hard.

“I’ve read a lot about how you can finish a marathon and still feel good at the end.

“I don’t think you can finish this and feel good at the end!

“It is going to be painful but the sense of achievement of running a marathon is great.”

Kayleigh, whose mum and dad, Julia and Donald, live on Haddington’s Knowsley Park, first took up running when she was a teenager still living in the town.

The 29-year-old, who was based at Kinloss, near Forres, said: “I’m a keen runner now.

“I started running in Haddington for what was then Haddington East Lothian Pacemakers (HELP), with Joe Forte and people like that.

“I was 18 and could run for about four minutes.

“It just gradually built up over time and I did my first marathon two or three years ago now.

“I was going to do some ultra marathons last year but Covid knocked it out.

“They were going to be 40 miles but this opportunity came along to do 62 miles with a team.”

Already, Kayleigh has collected more than £2,200 for the charity, with hopes she will reach £3,000.

To sponsor Kayleigh, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/kayleigh-mcmillan1