All done for another year – and what a year it was.
It will come as no surprise that events like Race the Sun come at a cost. But perhaps not the kind many assume.
Alongside other Outdoor Education initiatives, Race the Sun is funded primarily through sponsorship raised by the pupils themselves. This is supported by a healthy dose of unapologetic scrounging—requests for help from businesses and individuals along the route. Transport, accommodation, checkpoint access and staffing are all heavily discounted or, in many cases, generously provided free of charge.
From the outside, it’s easy to assume that a fee-paying school has the luxury of running such events. It’s an understandable assumption – but not an accurate one.
The reality is far more grounded. Pupils wash cars, bake cakes, run tuck shops and organise fundraising in all its familiar forms. In doing so, they gain something far more valuable than money: ownership, pride, and an early understanding of what effort really means.
So why aren’t events like this more common?
I was asked exactly that while standing in the rain at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct checkpoint. A member of the public, having followed our social media, was convinced a professional events company must be working behind the scenes. When I explained that every adult involved was a member of Malvern College staff, volunteering their time freely, there was a pause – then genuine surprise.
Take a look at last year’s event: 2025 Race the Sun
I have worked at Malvern College for 11 years now. Long enough, I suspect, for both me and my line managers to feel it. Over that time, they have patiently entertained an endless stream of increasingly complex ideas – each accompanied by its own ambitious risk assessment.
And yet, what I’ve come to take for granted is remarkable.
Staff who willingly give up their time to chaperone pupils. Who sleep on visitor centre floors in North Wales. Who rise at 4am and function – impressively – on very little sleep. Who follow pupils across the country in unpredictable and ever-changing conditions.
The Malvern Offer: Watch the Outdoor Education webinar
More than that, I trust them.
I trust them to manage complex logistics under pressure. To make sound decisions when fatigue is real and the margin for error is small. To assess risk, environment and character in real time. I trust colleagues in Marketing who work 16-hour days to keep parents informed and connected. And most importantly, I trust all staff to support the emotional wellbeing of pupils navigating the inevitable highs and lows that come with challenges of this scale.
Because that is what this is really about.
At Malvern College, we talk about developing the whole person. Academics are central to school life – but they are not the whole story. https://www.malverncollege.org.uk/about-us/our-malvern-qualities/
Without strength of character, what do qualifications truly enable?
Without communication skills, how are ideas shared?
Without resilience, how do young people respond when life pushes back – as it inevitably will?
And without consciously developing character, how will they go on to lift others?
Events like Race the Sun don’t just talk about these qualities – they demand them.
Time and again, our staff buy into this philosophy. Not because they have to, but because they believe in it. Many schools speak about building resilience, teamwork and leadership. Experiences like this are where those values are lived.
Take a look at other recent Malvern College challenges
To all the staff who give up so much of their time and choose, year after year, to operate in such gloriously ridiculous conditions for the benefit of our pupils, thank you.
And to those following along from afar, I hope you enjoyed the journey.
We’ll see you at the next start line.
Jay Watts
Director of Outdoor Education and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
