A team of students and staff from Felsted School were among the 5,000 runners taking part in a charity half marathon event at iconic Hampton Court, raising more than £11,000 for their chosen charities as they crossed the finish line.
None of the 16 students from the independent co-educational boarding and day school in north Essex had ever run a half marathon before, but they were shown the way by Joshua Entwistle, Biology teacher at Felsted, who strode out to lead the race right from the start.
The other eight participating Felsted staff members did their best to catch up, but Mr Entwistle maintained his pace throughout and finished in first place, recording a time of just over 71 minutes and pleasing members of the school community who had sponsored him in aid of Mumbai children’s charity Magic Bus. Felsted Assistant Head (Academic) Richard Williams wasn’t too far behind, finishing in 18th place overall in support of Farleigh hospice – an achievement all the more impressive due to the fact that he had been persuaded by day house students to run the race dressed as a banana!
The Felsted students’ long weeks of training paid off as they completed the 13-mile course around the historic home of King Henry VIII. 17-year-old Taras P was the first of them to cross the line and secure donations for Felsted Mission, and Lola S, in support of Teach Uganda, the fastest of the girls.
‘The amount raised for these charities, which are all close to our hearts at Felsted, is incredible,’ said Felsted Head Chris Townsend who also took part in the race. ‘However, this was as much about personal challenge for the students, who had never attempted a race of this length before – they should be hugely proud of their achievement.’
‘Making a difference’ is a key element of life at Felsted and pupils aged four to eighteen are continually involved in charity fundraising, while many also give up their time to volunteer for organisations benefiting people locally and around the world. The school raises a tremendous amount throughout the year for good causes and also engages with an outreach programme which involves sharing facilities and expertise with the community.
Indeed Felsted’s success in raising funds to support pupils from a wide range of backgrounds was recognised with the presentation of Independent School Parent magazine’s ‘Development Award for an Outstanding Fundraising Achievement 2024’.
Categories: Felsted School School News
