Sportation: A celebration of sport comes to Royal Greenwich

by Our Staff Writer |  Greenwich

Cllr Miranda Williams.
(Credit: via Wiki)

This week will see some amazing sporting and physical competition achievements from young people as part of the annual Royal Borough of Greenwich Sportathon. 

And the event will feature children from every Royal Greenwich primary school who will compete for the prestigious ‘winner’s shield’.

The week-long celebration of sport runs from June 22 to June 26 and forms part of the council’s wider strategy to inspire young people to take part in sport, enjoy sport and to make sport and physical activity a central part of their lives.

Sportathon was created as an Olympic legacy event in 2006 to celebrate the awarding of the 2012 Olympic Games to London. It was originally held at the Woolwich Barracks, home of London 2012 Olympic Shooting events.  In 2013 the event moved to the greatly refurbished Sutcliffe Park Athletics Track, an international competition level track, and home to the famous Cambridge Harriers Athletics Club.

There will be attendance this year from all 66 Greenwich primary schools. Approximately 2400 children from years 3/4 (7/8 year olds) will take part in three scoring and one non scoring event and the top three scoring schools progress to the finals on Friday 26th to compete for the Sportathon Shield.

There are four activities (athletics, big dance, sports wheelchair relay and multi-sport target skills) and four rounds of competition. Following a warm up, the schools are split into four groups and each group takes part in an activity for 30 minutes. The groups then rotate to the next activity.

Once all activities have taken place, scores are added and the top three schools are announced who will return to the finals this Friday (June 26).  All children taking part receive a certificate and information and incentives on sports activities to keep them physically active throughout the Summer.

Councillor Miranda Williams, Royal Greenwich Cabinet Member for Culture and Creative Industries said: “Sportathon is now a well-established and much loved annual event for young children from across the whole of the Royal Borough to come together and take part in positive sporting activities.  It’s a fantastic legacy from the London 2012 Games and we are determined to give children and young people every opportunity to take part in sports and physical activities including access to top quality facilities." 

The home of Sportathon is Sutcliffe Park, which is a 2012 legacy project, we have already submitted a planning application for a £7m investment in a new multi sports centre next to the track that will further develop the excellent sports facilities at Sutcliffe. 

Councillor John Fahy Royal Greenwich Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “Every year Sportathon seems to go from strength to strength, and I’m delighted to see that every primary school across Royal Borough is proudly represented with children having fun, making friends and taking part in sporting competition.”

Sportathon has had over 16,500 children take part to date, and in recognition of it's role in creating a lasting sporting legacy for children, it was awarded the London 2012 Inspire mark. It is one of only 125 projects in London and 1018 projects in England to receive this prestigious award. 

The Mayor of Royal Greenwich and International Athlete and Starting Blocks Ambassador, Tosin Oke will be presenting medals at the finals.

* Sportathon is a closed event for school children and teachers only.