Triumph and Challenge: The 2024 Wilson Run Recap
The 2024 Wilson Run was won by Dan in 1:20:27 and Hannah in 1:41:02. The boys’ race winner, Dan of Sedgwick House, ran an incredibly strong race. After coming second in 2023, Dan delivered on his strategy to set off a bit quicker this year. Having taken the lead early, he held on to finish just under 4 minutes ahead of George (School House). The girls’ race was closer; Hannah was the first-ever winner from Carus House in the closest girls’ finish ever – finishing just 1 second ahead of Maddie (Robertson House). Overcoming injuries that interrupted race preparation earlier in the term, ahead of the race, Hannah was feeling ‘ready’ and, she admits, more than a little nervous!
While the weather was unusually kind for the race itself, the course was arguably the worst that the Race Director has ever seen. “Unprecedented rainfall over the past few weeks has meant that the course, Baugh Fell in particular, is completely saturated,” with the result that it was very difficult conditions – even for the notoriously difficult 10-mile course. The wet conditions mean that the race takes additional effort to run and is more brutal on runners’ legs.
Runners finished mired in mud and exhausted after battling the conditions, but the atmosphere leading to the finish line on Lupton field was electric! Current pupils were joined by parents, Old Sedberghians, School staff, and our prep School pupils. Watching the runners coming in over the finish line, incoming Director of Sport, Ms. Malings, was delighted by the pupils’ achievements – particularly the girls’ winner, Hannah, who improved on her 2023 time by over 30 minutes. “Pupils spend the term training and preparing for this challenging course, and the progress shown by pupils from the first Epic run in January to race day is incredible.” This year’s runners agree that the challenge of the Wilson Run is mental; most people can run the distance – but to go all out and even to win – that’s about resilience and mental toughness.
The current boys’ record holder, Fraser Sproul, loved the House camaraderie, and his advice to the 2024 runners matches that of other past winners; to really enjoy the race and run hard because you’ll remember the race forever. Past winners present at the race agree – get ahead early and start thinking about when you’re going to make your push.
The attendance of so many Old Sedberghians on race day is a testament to the enduring legacy of the race. Old Sedberghian and double Wilson Run winner (1958 and 1959), Peter Johnston, believes the race’s enduring legacy is due to the enormous motivation of a race that gives everybody who’s reasonably fit a chance to strive, to have a go, and to meet the challenge. Another past winner, Bill Graham (winner in 1961), describes race day as historic and coming back for the run as very emotional – he agrees that the magic is about taking part and enjoying the beautiful countryside. While not necessarily thinking about winning, Bill (Hart House) believes that the friendships he made and the memory of standing on the start line with his House mates contribute enormously to the race legacy for past runners.
Race Director, Richard Wells, is keen to emphasise the huge effort of all staff across the School to hold the race and support pupils. For 205 qualifiers (with 189 eventually running), the School had 100 marshals on the course – in addition to sweepers at the back of the course and medical and safety staff on standby in case of incidents. The School is also incredibly appreciative of the wider Sedbergh community, including the farmers whose land the race traverses. The Wilson Run, which has been described as the most arduous and complex school race in Great Britain, could not take place without the support of the community and the entire School body.
Headmaster, Dan Harrison, says the race has grown and grown; it’s a whole School event and one of the best days of the School calendar, “We should all have a sense of pride. It’s fantastic that we’ve got 191 runners out there in fairly testing conditions. The race’s legacy comes down to different things for different people but primarily the race endures because pupils remember it fondly due to the enormous sense of achievement they feel after finishing the race.”
See the 2024 race results
Download the programme
Learn more about the history of the Wilson Run
Race images:
Wilson Run 2024 Finish Line Photos
Wilson Run photos from Baugh Fell
