Monday June 15th 2026
Royal Signals soldier Lance Corporal
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A Royal Signals soldier has put his fitness, resilience, and teamwork to the test at this year’s British Army Race the Sun competition in York.
Lance Corporal Jake Scott, aged 30, of 11 Signals, competed in the demanding multi-discipline endurance event hosted by the Royal Signals, which saw teams from across the Regiment take on one of the Army’s toughest physical challenges.
Originally from Aberdeen, but relocated to Edinburgh, LCpl Scott – a Physical Training Instructor – joined fellow soldiers in a relentless, full-day test of endurance spanning the historic city and surrounding training areas.
Beginning before sunrise, competitors tackled a half marathon route through York’s iconic streets, including the Shambles and York Minster, before pushing on to Strensall Common.
From there, the pace intensified with a sequence of punishing activities including cross-country running, orienteering, loaded marches, cycling and a triathlon, culminating in a physically demanding stretcher race finale.
First launched in 1990 as an inter-squadron competition, Race the Sun has evolved into a flagship Royal Signals event, testing not only physical robustness but also teamwork, determination and mental resilience.
Despite being relatively new to one of the disciplines, LCpl Scott played a key role in his team’s performance, stepping in at short notice for the cycling race.
Speaking after the event, he said: “Today has been about not falling off a bike for me.
“I did the 20-mile cycle and I’m quite new to cycling so I was a little bit apprehensive about the race, but my team did well, so I’m happy.”
Reflecting on how he came to take part, he added: “The team today were really good cyclists, I was only in the team because someone couldn’t compete, I was the back up.”
LCpl Scott’s involvement in Race the Sun builds on a long-standing passion for fitness, which underpins both his Army role and personal ambitions.
“I’ve always been into fitness; I started in the gym then I started running and decided to take up cycling as the next thing,” he said.
Beyond his duties in the Army, LCpl Scott has developed a growing presence online, using his experience to support others in their own fitness journeys.
“I have a fitness page on social media where I try and help people with their own fitness and nutrition needs as well as losing a bit of weight and keeping fit,” he explained.
Events such as Race the Sun directly support his work off duty, allowing him to demonstrate the standards he encourages others to aim for.
“Days like today help me with my fitness pages, it puts me through my paces and shows my audience that I also have to keep fit and healthy. It also allows me to prove I can do it and teach other people they can do it too.”
Looking ahead, LCpl Scott is continuing to challenge himself, with plans already in place for future endurance events.
“I’m going to try keep pushing myself and I’ve got a triathlon coming up at Ironman, training is going well, but I know I need to work on my cycling and swimming to keep pushing myself and working hard.”
The Regimental Sergeant Major for 2 Signal Regiment, Luke Brereton, praised both the competitors and the wider effort behind the event.
“The hard work from everyone that goes into today, from behind the scenes to the competitors, is appreciated by the Regiment, it gets everyone out from their day job and into doing something different while building on not only physical, but mental wellbeing.”
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