Concept
To apply the concept and traditions of the Ekiden to a school context to create a physical activity event alongside a learning activity emphasising the interdependence of all members of the school community and the sense of social and emotional wellbeing that results from each student positively contributing to its collective ethos and culture.

Project
To combine a continuous multi-stage running relay alongside a simultaneous ‘learning and values relay’ where students work in parallel vertical age group teams to ‘pass on’ their learning about each of the seven Olympic and Paralympic Values in a written or pictorial ‘Tasuki’.

The event will take place at Park House School - a mixed 11-18 community school of 1120 students. Park House is organised into four vertical Houses for sporting competitions and cultural activities such as dance festivals, creative writing and debating.

The seven Olympic and Paralympic Values of friendship, excellence and respect and inspiration, determination, courage and equality form the basis of the school’s distinctive culture and ethos.

The school has seven year groups - Years 7-13.

Based upon this structure, the Park House Education Ekiden will be organised as follows:

• A 14-stage mixed House Team continuous relay of 1 mile loops around the school site with the Tasuki passed on year group to year group boy/girl from Years 7-13.

• A simultaneous seven-stage learning relay where House group student teams (organised vertically or in year groups) work in seven timed sessions to explain and then pass on their understanding of each of the Values in written and/or pictorial formats e.g. Friendship to Equality to Excellence to Inspiration to Respect to Courage to Determination. Each completed stage becomes a page in a ‘Values Tasuki’.

The Education Ekiden will be preceded by a cultural briefing to all students on the Ekiden tradition and related House-based research project on it.

Prior to the start of the Ekiden event all pupils, staff and volunteers will perform Japanese Radio Exercises led by six-time Paralympian and five-time Gold Medalist Noel Thatcher MBE . We also hope to have other Japanese cultural activities throughout the day.

The relay will be marshalled by student volunteers from each House, reinforcing the contribution and involvement of all members of the school community.