Every runner counts

If there is one event that defines the ethos of sport at Trinity, it’s the Mob Run. It’s the most inclusive, supportive and fun event on the school’s sporting calendar and has been taking place every September for years.

How does it work? Here, Mr Kench, Director of Sport, explains:

Mob Runs are for students in the Junior, First, Second and Third Years and everyone participates. It’s a cross-country route between 1.5-3km depending on age and some of our best Fourth- and Fifth-Year runners set off as ‘hares’ for the younger students to try and catch. Parents come along to watch, many teachers join in and there is a brilliant atmosphere.

What’s special is that it’s an inter-form competition so every runner counts, whether they come in 1st or 187th. Every student will do their best and, if they start to get tired, they’ll have other students from their form cheering them on. This camaraderie can help students push through those tough moments.

We want to encourage progression too. Every year students can try and attain themselves against the previous year. Students who place in the bottom 10% one year, may be in the top 50% the following year, which is fantastic. We can see that progression and they can feel it. It can encourage students to get more involved in sport for the rest of the year. As their fitness levels improve, they do better in the following year’s Mob Run.

We do award individual medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place but Mob Runs are about buying into a bigger cause. The students unite around a common goal, and this sense of community helps motivate everyone.

That is what’s important here. We want to foster a culture of collaboration and cooperation at Trinity, where every student feels their contribution is recognised and appreciated. We hope that Mob Runs set the tone for this spirit across the life of the school for the year ahead.