AROUND WALES IN 83 DAYS

For somebody who doesn’t like running, Meg Jenkins has managed to clock up 180 miles over the last nine weeks – that’s two to three miles every day.

Having set herself an 83-day running challenge, the 12-year-old from Kerry, near Newtown, Powys, still has 17 days to go, by which time she’ll have pounded the pavements for 240 miles.

Meg’s mum Kathy explains why her young daughter set herself this off-the-scale challenge.

“Meg had seen the news reports of all the amazing and tireless people who are doing so much across the NHS in this pandemic,” says Kathy.

“She wanted to set herself an ambitious challenge before she turns 13, and try to raise money at the same time.”

The young runner discovered there were 83 hospitals in Wales, and on May 1 she set off to run one day for every hospital for three months until July 22, just a few days before her 13th birthday.

Modest Meg says: “I’ve never been able to run and never enjoyed it when I did, so I thought this would be a good challenge for me.”

Her mums adds, “Meg does up to 3 miles a day. Every day is different, some hot days, some wet days, but also fun days. Our dog Betsy joins her on most runs.

“It’s emotionally and mentally hard, but she knows every footstep is helping raise vital money for all those in the NHS.”

To date, Meg has raised a stonking £1,270 for NHS Charities. If anyone would like to support her along the next 60-odd miles at justgiving.com/ fundraising/kathryn-jenkins7, your donations would make a tired girl very happy.

May the road rise to meet you, Meg!