Air ambulance doctor near Harborough will be running the London Marathon in his flight suit as part of a mission to run 169 kilometres

An air ambulance doctor near Harborough will be running the London Marathon in his flight suit as part of a mission to run 169 kilometres.

Scott Castell, of Foxton, hopes his gruelling challenge will help raise money for Magpas Air Ambulance to keep the new helicopter flying.

The 35-year-old is already chalked a few kilometres off his target by completing a few half marathons and 10k races.

And now he is getting ready for the big one - the London Marathon.

“I wanted to find a way to raise money for Magpas Air Ambulance to keep the new helicopter flying and set myself a personal challenge too – something that’s actually hard to do and something that will make people stop and take notice," he said.

"Eventually I came to the decision that I would run a total of 169 kilometres, for the AW169 – our new Magpas Air Ambulance – in full kit.

Talking about how he came up with the idea of running in his full flight suit, he said: "I remember the man who ran the London Marathon wearing an old diving suit years ago. It took him two weeks, but he did it.

"I think there’s definitely some inspiration there from him. The Magpas Air Ambulance flight suit and kit bag isn’t quite that heavy, but it will still be a challenge!

"The trousers alone filled with all the necessary kit weigh an additional seven kilos and with the full kit and bag, it weighs approximately 18kg, so it’s a lot more challenging than running normally.

"It’s very, very hot in a flight suit, and absorbs water from the outside too, proving challenging in both the summer and winter runs.

"But every kilometre, every drop of blood, sweat, and tears, will be worth it if it raises funds and helps us save more lives. And who knows, it might inspire others as well!"

To sponsor Scott, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/challenge169Or you can text MILES to 70580 to donate £5.