Usain Bolt took 9.58 seconds to run 100m. What’s the distance you can reach in that time?
David Rudisha ran 800m in 1:40.91. How much time will you and seven of your mates, each running 100m, take?
As it turned out, the students at Sherborne Qatar took a shot at these and many other records from the world of track and field to mark the 100-day countdown for the year’s biggest sporting spectacle — IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019, which will run from September 27 to October 6 at the state-of-the-art Khalifa International Stadium.
There was no warm-up, no multi-national sporting goods companies customising the footwear to suit the running style, no data to eke out optimal performance. But by the end of it all, students had respect for what the top class athletes achieved, how they pushed boundaries of human limits. Perhaps the activity had piqued their interest in athletics.
And that was what the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for Doha 2019 hoped to do — inspire children.
Similar events were held across schools in Qatar, including at Doha College.
“The World Championships are the biggest event happening this year. As many as 230 countries will be represented by more than 2,000 athletes,” Sheikha Asma al-Thani, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Local Organising Committee, told Gulf Times.
“The whole point of these World Championships is bringing athletics to the Middle East for the first time, and for us, participation of the community, schools and getting the students involved is very important.
“One of the main things is actually to get school participation, getting them to try athletics as a sport. For those who are not athletes, they can submit artwork, essays, and try athletics from a different perspective. So we have the young media reporter programme, young artists programme that are underway at various schools.”
For Sheikha Asma, who last year became the first Qatari to ski to the North Pole and has previously scaled Kilimanjaro, the excitement of the students was heartening.
“For me it is exciting and inspirational. I have always liked athletics and I used participate when I was in school as a young girl. To get an event, and be a part of it, and to see these (top class) athletes is very inspiring. It is very important to get these opportunities and I hope these Championships do the same for these kids,” she said.
Talking about the preparations for the Championships, she said, “We are very excited, to be honest. All the preparations are undergoing well, the tickets are out on sale, the international packages are going out, so we are on point with the preparations,” she said. “Ticketing campaign was launched two months ago, and a lot of tickets have been sold internationally, while we are now pushing it locally. It’s picking up and we are anticipating full stadiums every night.”
Doha College principal Dr Steffen Sommer said: “Sport at Doha College has a special place and we believe in the notion of healthy body, healthy mind to help us be a high performing school, which is only possible with having sport firmly embedded.
“Students in Doha College are engaged in sport on a regular basis. The leadership skills, the work together through sport, is a skill that translates into high achievement in the classroom.
“Our children realise that having the Championships coming to Qatar is a once-in-a-life timeline opportunity for so many and they are privileged to be in Qatar at this time in their lives.”
Back at Sherborne Senior, for those who are interested, eight students running 100m legs posted an average time of two minutes 20 seconds for the 800m distance cumulatively, while a few made it as far as 75m on their best efforts in nine and a half odd seconds.
99 days to go.
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