The Year 11 Physical Education class recently completed a class duathlon down at the Otago Harbour - with amazing results!

On Tuesday the 24th March the Level 1 (Year 11) Physical Education class was due to complete the class duathlon - consisting of a 4km run, 9km bike, 2km run.  They had been training three times per week, during class time, and were in great physical (and mental) shape to complete the duathlon.  However.....COVID-19 struck and we went into Level 2, which meant NO DUATHLON......the class missed out completing their assessment by one day!  Not to be put off by this, the class continued with their fitness during the lockdown period, with many becoming fitter than they have ever been before!  Back to school everyone went and the students got busy - school, work, sport, socialising - cramming everything in to a short period of time. Training for the Year 1 duathlon began again but it seemed to be harder than in Term One. It was hard to juggle all of the training the students were doing out of class time with the demands of duathlon training.  Injuries and 'sore legs' were becoming quite prevalent in the class.  Should we continue with the duathlon?  Should we put it off until Term Four?  We decided to push ahead and WOW the results were amazing.

We were able to run the duathlon on Tuesday, 22nd September (6 months after the initial planned date) on a mild morning at the Otago Harbour.  Surrounded by dark clouds wanting to explode, the class took off at a very quick pace  to ensure they didn't get covered in the rain that was forecast to hit them.  Jaime Reid was first back in a very quick time - recording a time that was only two minutes off the record set by professional cyclist Ella Harris; she was followed by Riley Piebenga and Josephine O'Halloran. 

All of the students who took part should be very proud of themselves.  They all worked very hard during the year and on the day of the duathlon.  Thank you to all of the students who helped to marshal on the day and to the parents/caregivers who helped with transport, marshalling and encouraging the students.  Well done to all involved!