Remarkable performances at the King Henry VIII Relays

Giggleswick pupils delivered an outstanding set of performances at the prestigious King Henry VIII Relays, a national-level schools competition held in extremely challenging wet and muddy conditions.

Despite racing against older athletes in the Under 18s category, the girls’ team finished 7th overall out of 37 teams, setting a new school record by over a minute and a half. The boys’ team placed an impressive 27th out of 59 teams, rounding off a hugely successful day for the school.

There were a number of exceptional individual performances:

• Jack finished 1st on his leg and set a new school record of 10:57, placing him in the top 10 times in the event’s 54-year history. His time surpassed performances previously recorded by Seb Coe, Jonny Brownlee and Alistair Brownlee, and bettered former Old Giggleswickian Euan Brennan’s time by eight seconds. He was also just 12 seconds shy of the overall race record.

• Mia placed 3rd on her leg, recording a new school record of 13:19, improving on her own performance from last year. Pending final confirmation, this may also place her as the 3rd fastest overall on her leg and 25th all-time, with four more years of eligibility remaining.

• Martha finished 6th for her leg, Calum and Camilla both secured 8th place finishes, and Jo placed 11th/12th.

Camilla’s performance also places her as the fourth fastest Giggleswick runner of all time, behind former pupils who went on to compete internationally, including Roberta Jenkinson and Clair Lilley.

Headmaster Sam Hart praised the achievement, saying:

“To enter a team made up of one Year 10, one Year 9 and two Year 8 pupils into an Under 18s national event and finish 7th overall is a remarkable achievement. We are incredibly proud of them and excited to see what they achieve in the future.”

A fantastic result that highlights the depth of talent, resilience and dedication of Giggleswick’s runners.