Upper Sixth student Arushi is part of the team heading to Malawi in July 2025, as part of the school’s ongoing partnership. After signing up to run a unique half marathon on the Isles of Scilly during the summer, she decided to use the event to raise money to contribute to building the new classroom block at Chipwepwete Primary School. As well as completing the race, Arushi raised an incredible £1,130, well done! Her JustGiving page is still live.
Arushi says, “I have done three half marathons previously, around London as well as the occasional triathlon. The Tide Race is unique in the sense that the course is not only over two islands, meaning a lot of wading in water, but it is also quite a rocky and uneven route, where the run becomes more of a trail run.
“This year (2024) was the first ever Tide Race at the Isles of Scilly, run by the company Scilly60, whose main event is hosting a 60km ultra marathon trail race over all five main islands. Since the Tide Race requires ultra-low tides, it can only occur once every three years. I have been visiting the Isles of Scilly with my family for around five years now, and this year our trip coincided with the Tide Race, so my dad and I signed up!
“I have fundraised through running before, for charities like DEBRA and Royal Marsden Hospital, so with my parents’ help, as well as family and friends, I was able to raise enough money to exceed my goal of £800 for the Trinity Malawi Project.
“The race itself was much harder than any other I have done, which I knew it would be, mostly because of the difficulty in preparing. This trail includes a wide variety of terrain, including sand, grass, and stone. Where I live, my runs consist of pavement and concrete, so the only ‘preparation’ we did was occasional runs on the common.
“During the Tide Run itself, we were forced to walk a lot, when it was too rocky to risk twisting an ankle, as the narrow paths between heather and up boulders were tricky and precarious. Part of the run had to be altered because part of the cliff path had eroded away, which is why the race started with 1km in the water, to gain back the extra distance.
“The biggest surprise was the views, which at every corner were stunning and nothing like those on our runs at home in grey London. The scenery on the Isles of Scilly is beautifully unique and tropical looking, even though it is only 28 miles off the Cornish coast. There was also a cool breeze and occasional drizzle on the run, which was a relief from the hot sun (especially since there were no water stations along the way).The run itself was fun, broken up with occasional wading across from one island to another and back, with lots to see, including honesty boxes, supporters, confused visitors and animals making the time fly by faster. The biggest concern was reaching the cut-off point in time, which was extremely strict to ensure all runners made it back before the tide came in, which was pressuring as it was necessary to reach to complete the race.
“I applied to visit Malawi next year as it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am excited for the trip this summer. I am looking forward to further opportunities to raise more money for this fantastic partnership between Trinity School, Croydon, and Chipwepwete Primary School.”
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