Skip to content
Skip to navigation
Accessibility
Alumni
Join the team
Contact us
Apply
Donate
Search terms
Back to home
Back to news
View full sitemap
The Manchester Marathon challenge
Two students from RNC, Freya Gavin and Ryley Day-Hector, took on the Manchester Marathon on 14 April. This was the first marathon for both. Freya, who hails from Manchester, took part in the marathon as part of her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) at College. To achieve the qualification, she independently planned, organised and fundraised for their marathon participation. Freya also had to secure the help of volunteer guide runners to assist her training when residing in Hereford.
Pictured:
Freya and Ryley proudly display their medals
Photo credit:
Lisa Roberts
Lisa Roberts who leads on the EPQ programme at RNC, accompanied the students to the event.
Both Freya and Ryley were determined to take on the challenge, but the race proved to be more demanding than they had anticipated.
Ryley, who was aiming for a four-hour finish, had to battle through illness but still managed to complete the marathon in an impressive 04:46:41. Reflecting on his experience, Ryley said:
‘It didn’t start off great as I didn’t feel well at all. The first hour was okay and I did a decent first 10k. It was a great atmosphere, and I was surrounded by people, which kept me going. I was just relieved to cross the finish line - I sprinted the last mile. Being poorly I just wanted to get the job done. My sister and mum came to cheer me on. It was nice motivation as I was just slogging my way through – my sister even ran alongside me on a couple of occasions. However bad I was feeling I still had to finish it as people were relying on me.’
Ryley has some useful vision and was able to navigate his own race. The signage was clear, and he was able to follow the route along with everyone else. However, he had to dig deep and push through the physical and mental challenges.
Meanwhile, Freya tackled the marathon with the help of a guide. The terrain presented its own challenges, having to navigate around numerous potholes that made the going tough. They still managed to finish with a very respectable time of 05:09:31, although Freya had initially set a target of 4.5 hours. Sharing her experience, Freya said:
‘The first half of the marathon went really quickly and the atmosphere was great. In training I had managed 18 or 19 miles so, on the day, beyond 23 miles it became quite a struggle. It was quite disorientating and challenging at times and it made me realise how much trust I had to put into my guide, but I surprised myself with how mentally strong I was.’
Freya went on to say:
‘I had never run long distances before I started training for the marathon, but I'm going to continue running, maybe not marathons, although I would like to try and beat my time. We ran by my house twice - mile 2 and mile 25. There were loads of people there supporting us - lots of friends, family, and former and current teachers. We've raised absolutely loads of money and it's a really positive thing especially for RNC’s Massage and Complementary Therapies Department. They've supported me and Ryley throughout this year and giving back is really important. They want to buy some hydraulic couches for the Department.’
Freya’s determination and resilience, along with Ryley’s perseverance through illness are a true testament to the strength and determination of RNC’s students.
Lisa Roberts commended the pair’s performance saying:
‘Despite the challenging conditions – cold, windy and extremely busy with over 32,00 runners, 150,000 spectators and volunteers – they both did extremely well. Particularly avoiding the potholes, which wasn’t easy with a visual impairment.’
Everyone at RNC is hugely proud of their accomplishments and very grateful for the funds they have raised to support the College. Freya and Ryley demonstrated that with dedication and the right support system, anything is possible.
If you would like to support Freya and Ryley's efforts, it's not too late, just visit their JustGiving page
here
.
Leave Feedback
Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of
website accessibility