Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Senior Squads’ Lockdown Running Challenge Event-Part 2 March 2021-Report-March 2021
Following the undoubted success of both the first Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Senior Squads’ Lockdown Running Challenge Event, which took place at the end of January, and the Danske Bank Medallion Yahtzee Lockdown Running Challenge Event, which was completed at the end of February, John Andrews launched a re-run of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Senior Squads’ Lockdown Running Challenge Event. This event took place between Monday 8th March and Saturday 13th March.
The event was slightly modified and participants ran 5km on Monday 8th, 2km on Wednesday 10th, 1 km on Thursday 11th followed by the final 3km on Saturday 13th March.
There were two categories to enter for the challenge-one with a 15 man squad, which seemed to suit some of our schools with lesser numbers available, and the other with a 25 man squad, which suited some of our schools with larger numbers wishing to participate. Indeed, some of the schools with larger numbers of participants managed to enter teams into both events.
The final Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Senior Squads’ Lockdown Challenge Running Event Dream Team was selected from both events with the final selection based on the best 3km times
Points scored
· 2 points for each run completed.
· 1 point per km (e.g., running the 3k scored 5 points in total)
· 10 points for a full house ie-ran all 4 distances over the course of the week.
Bonus points
· Each run-top 8 forwards scored Bonus points -10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2.
· Each run-top 7 backs scored Bonus points -10-8-7-6-5-4-3.
· 10 pts for each player who made it onto The Dream Team (fastest 3 km in their position)
· 25 pts for fastest 3km time (back) · 25 pts for fastest 3km time (forward)
This event was another undoubted success with hundreds of pupils from the fourteen schools involved participating. As well as a large number of school boy players taking part it is worthy of note that a number of staff members took part in this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Senior Squads’ Lockdown Challenge event as well. Chief amongst these was the former Bangor Grammar School, Queen’s University, Ulster and Ireland winger and Royal School, Armagh Vice Principal, Kenny Hooks. So impressive were Kenny’s times in the course of the week he felt that, as a finely tuned athlete, it would be inappropriate for him to forward the times for publication in case this would cause embarrassment for the other runners!
Results from Day 1
Senior Challenge Final Results
All the participants are very grateful to John Andrews and his colleagues at Ballymena Academy for taking the time to organise what has been a very enjoyable and challenging series of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Rugby Lockdown Challenge event runs.
