Padfield Under 16s Shuttle Run
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The Padfield under 16's shuttle run is a fantastic way to get the younger generation involved in a village sporting event that is both engaging and fun for all the family. The Padfield Residents' Society works closely with Padfield Community Primary School in organising the event, supplying plenty of water for the race and awarding medals to every runner that completes the circuits. There is a small entrance fee of £2 to cover some of the costs involved and proceeds go to Padfield School.
The idea for the run is simple: children in three different age groups run around the 'Padfield triangle.' When a lap has been completed in one direction, the children turn round and go back the same way they have just come, hence the 'shuttle run'. This might seem easy enough at first thought but local residents know well enough that our beautiful little village was built on a hill, so it doesn't matter which way you go there is always a hill to run up! The biggest challenge, of course, is running up Post Street.
Each circuit of the village is half a mile and depending on age, entrants complete a different number of circuits.
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Poster from the 2016 Shuttle Run
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Whilst this is a run, it is not timed and there are no losers. Everyone is a winner because taking part and having fun is what this event is all about. Volunteer marshals helped out on the day to ensure the children's safety at all times. Everyone met on the recreational ground at 10:30am for a briefing, then the race began when all the runners were ready. This year's shuttle run was held on 18 June and was a great success.
The gallery below shows just a few of the runners that took part receiving their medals.
The gallery below shows just a few of the runners that took part receiving their medals.
Many thanks to Sue Ballington for the photographs and for asking all the parents for permission in allowing photos of their champions to be shown here.
Organising the event
Local resident Janis Birchall enlisted the help of FOPS (Friends of Padfield School) to get the event off the ground. Medals were ordered (one for each child who completed the course) as well as badges and stickers, which enabled Janis and the organisers to keep tabs on each child's progress. After each lap a sticker was placed on the entrant's badge to indicate how many laps had been completed.
There were twelve marshals on the day from FOPS and the Residents' Society, which made all those involved confident the children would stay on the course and that any problems would be promptly dealt with. The organisers bought insurance for added peace of mind and FOPS managed to acquire plenty of water and plastic cups.
There were 26 entrants and every one completed the course, some more easily than others. The ages ranged from 3 years to 12 years. The children were delighted with their medals, and everyone had completed the course within 45 minutes.
Everyone involved agreed that they would like to repeat the event next year and it is hoped that next year will include some children who live in the village but go to other schools as well as Padfield School. Our local Councillor, Nick Longos, came along on the day to lend his support and our thanks go to Nick for assisting with a grant from the local Councillor's Community Initiative Fund to cover costs. Further consideration will be needed with the way the event is funded in the future.
All in all the organisers were pleased with the shuttle run and believe it was a success and great way to engage the younger villagers in a sporting event where everyone is there to have fun.
There were twelve marshals on the day from FOPS and the Residents' Society, which made all those involved confident the children would stay on the course and that any problems would be promptly dealt with. The organisers bought insurance for added peace of mind and FOPS managed to acquire plenty of water and plastic cups.
There were 26 entrants and every one completed the course, some more easily than others. The ages ranged from 3 years to 12 years. The children were delighted with their medals, and everyone had completed the course within 45 minutes.
Everyone involved agreed that they would like to repeat the event next year and it is hoped that next year will include some children who live in the village but go to other schools as well as Padfield School. Our local Councillor, Nick Longos, came along on the day to lend his support and our thanks go to Nick for assisting with a grant from the local Councillor's Community Initiative Fund to cover costs. Further consideration will be needed with the way the event is funded in the future.
All in all the organisers were pleased with the shuttle run and believe it was a success and great way to engage the younger villagers in a sporting event where everyone is there to have fun.