FIFTEEN members of the Hare Street School Athletic Club took to the streets of the capital on Saturday to compete and celebrate with children across the country in this year’s London mini marathon.

The event which started in 1985 can boast Sir Mo Farah and Elise McColgan amongst its winners and has become a wonderful curtain raiser to the full marathon which is run on the Sunday.

Assistant Head (and passionate marathon runner) Mark Grant, who oversees the schools athletic and running club, applied for places back in the autumn. The event drew huge interest with 400,000 applications received of which the Hare Street pupils were given 15.

The Hare street runners were placed in wave 17 which stated shortly before 11am. The children then completed the final 2.5km of the course finishing on the mall.

Results are to follow but the team included Head boy Albie Broughton who was the winner of the Harlow schools cross country meeting at Hare street back in the spring term, Jacob Finn who recently represented the Harlow schools team at the Essex championships in Chelmsford plus Sherri Jolles, Kalani Hoole-Jackson and Olivia Osei who were all part of the Hare Street team to win the Harlow schools triathlon championship in February.

Mark Grant said: “This was a huge moment for all these children, the experience of running that course with tens of thousands of other children will stay with them forever. We were given a huge shoutout on the start line by the announcer and the support of our parents can’t be understated. We’re now planning on getting these children, and others that weren’t able to run today, into training groups with local clubs to build on the enthusiasm.”