The School Run
Two amazing charities, one very long run.
On Tuesday 8th July, four members of the Oppidan Education team set out from Dartmouth Academy, part of the Education South West Trust, in Devon.
They crossed the Kingswear ferry at 9.45am under sunny skies. Then the lead runner, Walter Kerr, Oppidan's co-founder and self-professed ‘running nut’ turned right, onto the South West Coast Path and began climbing.
The team’s final destination? London.
In early spring 2025, we decided as a team to run from our furthest partner school back to the office. We wanted to raise money for two causes:
Magic Breakfast
Providing start of the day nutrition to thousands of children around the U.K every day.
The Oppidan Foundation
Providing grant funding to mentoring initatives in state-funded schools.
Day One
We got the maps out, consulted the wider team and agreed a plan.
As our starting point we chose Dartmouth Academy, part of ESW and one of Oppidan’s strongest MAT partners, nestled high above the Dart valley opposite Dartmouth College, the Naval base.
On that first morning the team headed from the hotel in high spirits, in our trusty support van, nicknamed ‘Terry’ for its bold orange colour.
At the school we began with an assembly to the students featured by Greatest Hits Radio and, after some interviews with ITV News including an exceptional feature from School Manager Molly Griffiths, we set off down the hill towards the first of many ferrys.
The team ran as a group of 4 in those first 2km, although going forward would split into a relay structure with each member running 15-20km per section, before handing on to the next person.
The path that lay head was by no means easy.
In the first day alone, 2500m elevation gain was in store, taking the team from their starting point via Brixham, Torquay, Teignmouth, Exmouth, Sidmouth, Seaton all the way to the first evening resting point at Lyme Regis.
By the time, Oppidan team member Ben Barber reached the town at 11pm that night, headtorch on, bitten, battered and bruised, we’d traversed some of the U.K’s most challenging and dramatic coastline. This was the the South West Coast Path – England’s most famous trail.
Day 2
Wednesday morning started at 5am, as Molly set out from our hotel in Weymouth to begin the Jurassic coastline, a Geographer’s paradise.
The going was tough that day with searing heat and serious, constant climbing across the sections. Walter was escorted off a military firing range at Lulworth, but from there legs pounded the miles through Durdle Door, Worth Matravers, Chapman’s Pool, Durlston Castle, Old Harry Rocks and finally the long sandy stretch of Studland where Ben Barber and Walter, the ‘speed goats’ of the pack, stretched some serious pace before the chain ferry at Sandbanks.
On a classic English summer’s day, amidst the sunburn, ice creams and picnic blankets, we’d already managed 45 miles before lunch.
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The afternoon took us away from the sand and sea, towards the New Forest. With the ponies and wooded terrain, came Jess ‘haven’t run in 5 years’ Bibby with the afternoon’s opening segment – 7 strong, true miles.
From there, the team never looked back.
The rest of the Southampton area was finished happily and at Totton, the arrival of Henry, provided a much-needed pair of fresh legs.
The terrain had changed from sea to suburbia but spirits were high, and it fell to Walter Kerr – already 65km in his legs since Dartmouth – to bring the team home on Day 2. His arrival, emerging from the wooded River Itchen was a magical moment.
As we slumped over pizza, the plan for the final day came into shape with the planned inclusion of the rest of the Oppidan team to bring us home along the Thames Path.
Day 3
Oppidan’s marketing and driving chief, Ben Stevens woke up on the Thursday with a steely resolve to get things done. Early.
The Whatsapp group chat found him at 5:45am, inhaling a gel along the Pilgrim’s Way outside Winchester, motivated to lead the vanguard.
Whilst he’d filmed and shepherded the team across the first two days, his was the way of the trail now, and his selfie videos the stuff of legend, including guiding sheep along the meadow as he surged forward.
Ben Barber was attacked by a dog whilst trying to reach the speed of sound outside Farnham, but as the team headed to Lotte’s house to meet the others for a final-day breakfast, morale was buoyant. The car was packed with sweaty t-shirts and tired legs, but the end was near.
Fuelled by an array of bacon, coffee and mueseli – the rest of the Oppidan team set out from Staines to finish the job.
Section after section, from Walton to Hampton, Richmond to Chiswick was tackled with energy and style, despite temperatures reaching nearly 30 degrees.
The final 5km was a special one, joined by the Magic Breakfast team, we reached the end with time to spare.
It was an amazing effort from everyone, bathed in the golden light of the Thames, we celebrated as a team, with drinks.
Everyone reminisced about the 3 epic days that had just passed, and despite the lack of sleep, we felt proud of our efforts with, at the time of writing, nearly £50,000 raised for the two charities.
