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Our Head of Year 5, Mr Barnett, is leading the way in Bulldog Pride, Unity and Respect inside and outside the classroom as a Boston Marathon Qualifier!
When our Head of Year 5, Mr Barnett, is not teaching in our Year 5 neighbourhood or coaching our primary, middle and high school school cross country runners, our #worldclassteacher enjoys training hard to compete in various running races and relay team events all over Texas and USA. When he heard stories about the iconic Boston Marathon and the high qualification standards needed to compete in it, this immediately became one of his goals.
The Boston Marathon qualification process is tough as athletes must meet the rigorous competitive time standards which correspond with their age and gender. For men between 18 and 34, the cutoff is 3 hours, and for women, it 3:30. The higher the age, naturally, the slower the pace. For example, 50- to 54-year-old women need to run it in under 3:55, while men that age need to do so in under 3:25. The qualification race must be certified by USA Track and Field, the Association for International Marathons and Distance, or another national governing body. Runners can qualify in several locations, including Houston, New York City, London, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
Even though the qualification time was reduced to the fastest it has ever been, Mr. Barnett’s qualifying time of 2:59.59 was still 5 minutes under this year’s new standard. His determination and commitment to succeed in being able to compete in the oldest consecutively run marathon in the world has ensured his place in the 124th Boston Marathon.
We will be tracking his progress as he builds towards this event.
