Chloe Bassett (l) and Jess Hurley at the finish line

There was a strong Queenswood presence at the London Marathon on Sunday 23 April.

Miss Chloe Bassett (PE department) ran the 26 mile course, raising funds for the Southgate Sports and Leisure Trust. She was cheered on by colleagues and students, and was extremely appreciative of their support. ‘The day was amazing and I do recommend anyone who hasn’t ever done it to sign up next year!’

Meanwhile Jess Hurley (Lower Sixth) and Ellie Gilmore (Year 9) both ran the Mini Marathon, following the route of the final three miles of the main course. Both girls completed the race in 20 minutes – an extremely impressive achievement. Jess’s sister Rebecca (OQ) volunteered at the event.

Earlier this month, OQ Holly Saunders completed the astonishingly gruelling Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert, in aid of Mencap. The six-day, 251 km ultramarathon, is approximately the distance of six regular marathons. ‘Having completed both the Paris and London marathons in 2015 and 2016 respectively, I decided that I needed something harder to train for…I wanted to do something incredibly significant for such a great cause. Running one marathon just doesn’t cut it, so I chose the hardest foot race on earth, both physically and mentally, to challenge and push myself to the limit – and in the process raise some money for a great charity.’