The EPS Running Festival’s huge success is owed to a subgroup of ChemSoc comprised of Isaac Burnell, Amy Locks, Billy Grey, Emily Cramp, Lucy Walker and Zoe Schnepp. The group came together to create what would be one of the high points of EPS’ academic year. The aim was to create a fun and motivating target for people during the lockdown. Understanding that sport, running in particular, has benefits that stretch across mental, physical and emotional health, the subgroup landed on giving students and staff a fitness challenge in the form of a running festival. Taking place in January and February, the festival also had a philanthropic twist whereby all money raised went to the mental health charity, Mind.

 Participants could run a range of distances between 3k and a half-marathon and share their training pictures and stories on the group Facebook page. The ChemSoc subgroup behind the event also managed to secure an Alumni Impact Fund that allowed them to buy EPS-themed medals for all participants as well as trophies for the society with the most participants (won by ChemSoc) and the society that raised the most money (won by MathSoc). The festival managed to raise £7,827 for charity and was a wonderful and inspiring event that brought people across the college together in what has been such a difficult year.