On a windy Thursday earlier in May, the ATASS team took over Exeter Arena for a day of track and field competition in aid of Brain Tumour Research. The day kicked off with a breakfast of fruit and homemade protein balls courtesy of the Oxygen House kitchen, and a vigorous warm up.
The morning consisted of long jump and high jump heats as well as a chance for some shotput practice.
We have several very dedicated runners within the team (attested by the weekly office lunchtime run and occasional running meetings), so the competition in the 100m, 800m relay and 1500m was fierce. In the over 35’s 3000m special, several competitors achieved PB’s on the day.
After lunch, the sun started to come out and the serious events began; sack race, blindfold run and backwards sprint. There was also an 800m walk in which competitors deployed an array of tactics to avoid a warning paddle and be first over the finish line; the traditional Olympic wiggle, the side shuffle and the short-lived lunge.
The height of the competition came mid-afternoon, when the tug of war rope made an appearance for a battle of the biceps.
To round the day off there was a dramatic 100m final which was won in a speedy 11.5 seconds. The high-jump record was also smashed with the winner clearing the bar at 1.55m. After the medal ceremony we headed back to the office for a much-deserved celebratory BBQ.
Through generous sponsorship pledges and a number of one-off donations, we managed to raise a spectacular £6,000 for Brain Tumour Research. Thank you to our team for being such good sports both on and off the field!
