BUCS RoundUp

tal wellbeing by partnering with the Healthy Minds programme.

The return of the University’s Run Series is giving students extra motivation to get their running shoes on this term in the form of several virtual and in-person challenges.

The 2023 edition of the series got underway this February with the Winter Warmer 5k and 10k taking place at Ashton Court. Similar events will be taking place throughout the term with the next run being the University of Bristol 10k held at Coombe Dingle on Sunday 12th March.

April will see participants take on the 6.5k Maverick Original Mendips trail running race through the hilly Mendips in the Somerset countryside.

This will mean that participants who complete all four events will have covered a total distance of roughly 42.2km, or the length of a marathon, throughout the series.

Alternatively, students can choose to accumulate the same distance ran through several virtual events taking place throughout the coming months.

For more seasoned runners, the Bristol Run Series Ultra edition provides the opportunity to complete an ultra-marathon distance by covering an additional 42-58km from the 5th to the 21st May, potentially taken the total distance ran up to an impressive 100km.

As well as encouraging students to improve your physical health, the Series is also looking to promote how running or exercise in general can help to look after your men-

The Healthy Minds programme supports students experiencing mental health difficulties by partnering them with activity mentors from the Fitness Team to develop a bespoke programme to improve their mental health.

According to the Bristol Run Series team, analysis of feedback of the 2022 series found that “93% of participants felt that the Bristol Run Series had a definite or very probable positive impact on their mental wellbeing, with 80% suggesting that there was a definite or very probable positive impact on their physical wellbeing”.

These distances can seem daunting to novice runners, but even if itsn't a part of the event, the Run Series encourages people not to be put off by their preconceptions of running.

Brandon, a 2021 Run Series participant, said 'if you think you hate running, find yourself a running partner, put some great music on, plan a route, and take it really slow! Like me, you might just be surprised at how enjoyable running can actually be!'

Updates

for football, trampolining, American football, fencing and more

Eddie McAteer Investigations Editor

With exams a thing of the past, or future depending on how you look at it, university sport has been in full swing. The week of Valentine’s Day saw plenty of success for Bristol’s sides, so we have a quick round up of some of the highlights.

First and foremost, the University men’s football team emphatically reached the semi-finals of the National Cup. The team dominated their quarter-final opponents Essex with a 4-0 win and are now just one game away from securing a place in the final.

Bristol trampoline had two podium finishes at their Cambridge competition, with two members placing third in their respective disciplines.

In American football, Bristol Barracuda ended their South West Division 1 regular season in style with an emphatic 31-14 win over Swan- sea, which meant the team finished with a 4-4 record. Quarterback Callum Charlton was awarded Offensive MVP while cornerback Ben Mellor won Defensive MVP. The Barracuda's attention will now turn to their upcoming playoff match against the no.1 seed Bournemouth Bobcats.

The Quidditch team continued the podium theme with a third-place finish at the Southern 2 competition in Oxford.

In futsal, the 2s put in a strong performance against Exeter 2s and cemented their 100% league record by putting 14 past their opposition, winning 14-5 in the end.

Badminton’s M1 team also won 6-2 in the National Trophy, beating Surrey 1s. Sticking with racquet sports, the Tennis club impressed with wins for the Men’s 1s, 2s and 4s.

Finally, Water Polo’s second team were victorious in their match against Gloucestershire and the Women’s Fencing team also took home a win.

If you're part of a team or have watched a uni team in action and want to be featured in Epigram, please let us know at @EpigramSport.