Head's Newsletter 28 May 2021

House Cross Country

After months and months of being postponed as a result of constantly changing Covid restrictions, Tiffin’s highly anticipated house run took place. With many participants having already taken part in competitions like house football and rugby, this year's house run had a fiercely competitive edge, with runners ready to battle it out and win points for their houses. Whether you made the decision to run, jog or walk for your house, everybody was welcomed down to Grist’s, the Tiffin School playing fields, ready to help their houses out. After school, sixth form and year eleven participants made their way to Grist’s and gathered by the start line, where three pens were set out in order to maintain social distancing and year group bubbles. Every runner was given a barcode by their house captain, to be scanned at the end, and after a quick route explanation, we were all set off into the classic, frantic, but exciting, beginning of the race sprint. We were to race around 3km, which consisted of two large laps around the fields and a shortened one to finish. Eventually, the pack split up and everyone began to run or walk their own race, as well as endeavouring to maintain Coronavirus safety precautions where possible. There was support from all around, with competitors cheering on other competitors, support from the organizers and spectators encouraging those running for their house teams, making for an amicable but competitive atmosphere. As well as being an excitingly competitive event, its inclusivity and popularity with students is also something to be celebrated. Every house had a substantial number of competitors who, however, they chose to complete the course, should be proud of their achievements and for the effort and time, they took to support their house team. Yet, without the brilliant P.E staff and Mr Shaw, this event could not have happened, so we thank them very much for their wonderful efforts and for putting on such a fun, but also ruthlessly competitive, event. After three enjoyable but most definitely arduous laps, the first finishers could be seen hurtling down the finishing straight. In year thirteen, Gianluca Maffi, for Kingsley Montgomery, Charles Krammer, for Livingstone, and Eyoel Abebaw-Mesfin , for Livingstone were the first finishing males, with Neve Husaini for Scott, Maddie Moore for Darwin Wilberforce along with Meriem Ait Ziane being the first female year thirteen finishers. In the Year Twelve race, In the ladies race Jess Holmes, Freya John and Sophia Luck took the medal positions and Jack Hartrey, Tom Armstrong and Will Murphy for the men. Finally, the first year eleven finishers were Shirav Medepalli, Neel Kandlagunta and Alex Cormack.