At the beginning of February, Rudy the club mascot challenged these two teams to complete a personal challenge of a Marathon in a Month, and then set a team challenge of getting from Land’s End to John O’Groats (813 miles) with their combined mileage. With the number of people signing up to the challenge this was rounded up to 1000-mile team challenge.

By the end of week 2, even with all the snow and ice we experienced, both teams had already got to John O’Groats and had now turned around and were racing to get back to Land’s End. By then, a quarter of the players, parents and coaches had achieved the Marathon in a Month challenge and I left them all to set their own Personal Goal for the rest of the challenge, but decided to set an Extra Extended Team Challenge.

The Extra Extended Challenge during this 6 Nations was a huge stretch of 2,958 miles (without the ferries) per team to go from Enfield Ignatians Clubhouse to Twickenham (London), to Murrayfield (Edinburgh), to Aviva Stadium (Dublin), to Principality Stadium (Cardiff), to Stade De France (Paris), to Stadio Olimpico (Rome) and back to Donkey Lane and the home of Enfield Ignatians and me Rudy!

Everyone took to this challenge with vigour, however they did it, from morning walks to clear their head before a day of home schooling /work or an evening run to add a few more miles. Some even jumped on the bike to clock up some miles adjusted by a 3 to 1 ratio to see some interesting sights in and around Enfield.

The Rugby Core Values of TEAMWORK, RESPECT, ENJOYMENT, DICIPLINE and SPORTSMANSHIP where upheld throughout the challenge and a huge amount of fun was had by all involved.

The magnificent efforts of all, meant that both teams smashed my Extra Extended Team Challenge and between them the teams clocked up an astonishing 6,388.1 miles in the month. Throughout, the U12s and Tigers exchanged the lead, and it was extremely close week on week as the results came in. In the end, just 40.3 miles split the teams, and it was the U12’s who pipped it as both teams got home to Donkey Lane and added a few more miles to boot.

Our amazing teams managed:

EIRFC U12s – 3,214.2 miles (Home with an extra 255.7 miles)
EIRFC TIGERS – 3,173.9 miles (Home with an extra 215.4 miles)

The whole aim of Rudy Runs Challenge was to get the kids out from behind screens as they home schooled and to keep up a level of fitness for when we can return to the club and finish out what has been a very strange season.

Amazing effort all and Congratulations!

The leader boards for the players, parents and coaches do not really matter as each person’s Personal Goal is exactly that, a Personal Goal, and every one of them hit them. However, they do show some outstanding efforts made by so many.

Amongst the 43 players who clocked up astonishing 2,539.6 miles, eight of our players all clocked up over 100 miles each. Headed up by Dylan (U12s), who in training for his cycle racing season when we come out of lockdown must now need new tyres for his bike after his adjusted total mileage was an amazing 158.2 miles. Tommy (U12s) and his sister Amy (Tigers) walked the legs off their young puppy amongst their runs to finish 2nd and 3rd in that group. I’m sure the young pup will be sleeping for all of March!

Our amazing parents supported the endeavour of the coaches to get all the kids out and about and keeping fit during lockdown by getting involved themselves. The 26 parents across both teams racked up a stunning 2,680.8 miles between them, again all achieving their own personal challenge. Sarah (U12s) made great use of her time where she couldn’t get on the golf course due to lock down and peddled and walked her way to an amazing 298.7 miles (adjusted). Meanwhile Carly (U12s) made the most of pushing her new baby girl around Enfield to come in 2nd with 224.5 miles while being chased all the way by fitness fan Jo (U12s) who came in 3rd with 191.0 miles.

Finally, our coaches who would not ask any of our players to do something they would not do themselves. The 10 coaches all achieved the personal challenge even though some were carrying injuries or chained to a desk by work and as a group still contributed 1,167.7 miles to the total mileage. Right from the off, it was a tight tussle between Sharon (U12s & Tigers) and Brian (Tigers) who were never separated by more than 10 miles from week 1. In the end it was Sharon training for her first marathon in May who held the lead to the end and clocked up 194.3 miles while Brian kept the pressure on all the way to the end and finished just 6.6 miles behind with 187.7 miles. It was also a close one between Tremaine (Tigers) on his bike and Laura (Tigers) pounding the pavement all the way to the end, with Tremaine’s adjusted mileage just piping Laura.

Once again, I have been bewildered by the efforts of everyone in our fantastic rugby family and I need to now think of a new challenge for next time. Now that we can see the light at the end of the lockdown tunnel, I know that the club and all the coaches are working away in the background to get everyone back to the club before the end of the season and some fun events over the summer break to say thank you for all your support during these strange times.

I can’t wait to see all the kids and parents at the club so I can present some well-earned Rudy Runs Medals to all.

Well done and Congratulations to all.

Rudy