Record Breakers of Today and Tomorrow: Fastest ever marathon!
Thursday 3rd April 2008 saw students from seven Oasis Academies break the record for the world's fastest marathon! This, the first of many inter-Academy events designed to bring our students together, saw a two hundred-strong team made up from Oasis Academies in Immingham, Coulsdon, Enfield, Wintringham, Bristol, MediaCityUK and Brightstowe running a 'touch relay' at the Lee Valley Olympic training track.
Oasis' budding athletes clocked up the required 26.2 miles or 422 laps in just 1 hour 46 minutes and 25 seconds - 18 minutes and 1 second faster than Haile Gebrselassie's 2007 record.
The marathon relay in aid of STOP THE TRAFFIK, was hosted by Actor Connor Byrne of Tracey Beaker and London's Burning and our very own Steve Chalke, himself a marathon fundraising record breaker and special advisor to the United Nations on community action against human trafficking.
The team was also joined by British long jump record holder Chris Thomlinson and World indoor triple jump record holder Philips Idowu who were both training prior to the event and took time to talk to and encourage the students.
The great day really encapsulated what the Oasis Academies are about: developing relationships, building community and believing in everyone and the student's seem to agree;
"It's been amazing! I've never won anything before let alone got a world record. It's been really good to meet other Oasis students and I can't wait for the next event" one student remarked.