RHS Athletics Enjoys a Record Breaking and Remarkable Season
The 2026 athletics season has been one of the most successful in recent RHS history, with athletes excelling at local, county, regional and national level. From pupils competing in athletics for the very first time to national champions and county representatives, the season has been defined by commitment, resilience and a determination to be the very best version of themselves.
What has been particularly pleasing is the breadth of participation across the school. Athletics at RHS continues to thrive because of the enthusiasm of pupils who attend training, support one another and embrace new challenges. This year saw many athletes make their track and field debuts, while others progressed onto some of the biggest stages in school athletics.
A Strong Start to the Summer
The outdoor season began with impressive early season performances across the squad.
Kuini M immediately demonstrated her potential in the high jump, while Saskia W opened her season with a superb 13.04 second 100m. Tim P began a dominant season in the throwing events with victories in both the discus and shot put. Tillie J showed outstanding early season form in the 200m, consistently running below 26 seconds, while Josh P opened his season with an impressive victory in the boys' 200m.
It was also fantastic to welcome several athletes competing in track and field for the first time, demonstrating the inclusive nature of the RHS athletics programme.
County Success and Championship Performances
As the season progressed, RHS athletes enjoyed outstanding success at the Suffolk Schools Championships and Essex County Championships.
Several RHS athletes earned county titles, including:
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Kuini M (High Jump)
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Ava O (Shot Put)
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Saskia W (100m)
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Tillie J (200m)
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Lucy F (U20 200m)
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Gus I (Javelin)
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Emmanuel O (Shot Put)
There were also podium finishes for Leo T, Ivy M and Sarah P.
Davina O enjoyed an exceptional championship season, winning gold medals in both the 75m hurdles and shot put at the Essex Championships, alongside a bronze medal in the 200m and a season's best performance in the long jump. She continued her success throughout the summer, collecting further medals at the Eastern Athletics Association Championships and the BLCF Hurdles Festival.
Team Success in the English Schools Track and Field Cup
One of the season's standout moments came in the English Schools Athletics Association Track and Field Cup.
A remarkable 58 RHS athletes competed in the county round, producing numerous personal bests and outstanding performances. Both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls teams finished as runners up overall, while the Intermediate Boys and Intermediate Girls teams placed fourth.
Particular congratulations must go to the Junior Girls team, whose performances earned qualification to the regional finals.
Standout individual performances included:
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Ruru A winning both the 200m and High Jump.
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Aidan H breaking a Year 7 school record that had stood since 1987.
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Saskia W running a personal best of 12.9 seconds to win the 100m.
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Tillie J continuing her remarkable habit of breaking her own school record in the 200m.
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First place finishes for Kuini M, Sarah P and Davina O.
The results highlighted the outstanding depth of talent throughout the RHS athletics squad.
Suffolk Representation
One of the highest honours available to young athletes is selection to represent their county.
This year, an impressive eleven RHS athletes earned Suffolk colours and represented Suffolk Schools at the Anglian Track and Field Championships:
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Davina O
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Ava O
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Tillie J
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Aaron G
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Leo T
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Saskia W
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Kuini M
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Ruru A
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Wilf W
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Sarah P
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Tim P
Selection alone is a significant achievement and reflects the strength of the athletics programme at RHS.
At the Anglian Championships, athletes competed against some of the best young performers from across the East of England. Sarah P achieved a huge personal best and a bronze medal in the shot put, while Aaron G and Davina O also secured bronze medals. Tillie J once again stole the headlines by winning the 200m, setting another personal best and breaking her school record for the fifth time this season.
Her performance also secured selection for the English Schools Championships, where she will represent Suffolk this summer.
National Success at the ISA Championships
One of the highlights of the season came at the ISA Athletics Championships.
RHS athletes delivered a series of outstanding performances at the qualifying event, with thirteen athletes progressing through to the National Finals at the prestigious Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Competing against some of the strongest school athletes in the country, RHS athletes rose to the occasion.
Among the highlights were:
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Tillie J becoming ISA National Champion in the 200m.
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Davina O winning gold in the hurdles and silver in the shot put.
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Saskia W claiming silver in the 100m.
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Tim P winning silver in the discus.
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Kuini M earning a silver medal in the high jump.
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Aidan H securing silver in the 200m.
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Ruru A helping his relay team to gold.
Perhaps the performance of the day came from the Year 10/11 girls' relay squad of Saskia W, Bella C, Kuini M and Tillie J. The quartet combined brilliantly to claim a national title and break a long standing school record.
RHS athletes played a major role in helping the East Anglia team finish second overall nationally.
Sports Day Brings the Season to a Perfect Conclusion
Sports Day once again provided a fantastic celebration of athletics at RHS.
The atmosphere, competition and support demonstrated the very best of school sport. Pupils challenged themselves in new events, represented their houses with pride and produced some outstanding performances.
Several long standing records were broken during the event, providing a fitting end to a memorable season.
More Than Medals
While records, medals and championships are worthy of celebration, the true success of RHS Athletics lies in the culture that has been created.
This season has been built upon dedication at training, mutual support between teammates and a willingness to embrace challenge. From our youngest athletes competing for the first time to those representing county and national teams, every athlete has contributed to the success of RHS Athletics.
The future of athletics at RHS is incredibly bright.
While Sports Day marks the conclusion of the athletics season for many RHS athletes, three pupils still have one final and highly prestigious competition ahead of them. Tillie J (200m), Ava O (Shot Put) and Femi SA (400m) have all been selected as part of the Suffolk Schools team for the English Schools Track and Field Championships in July.
Selection for English Schools is widely regarded as one of the highest honours in school athletics, with only the very best athletes from each county earning the opportunity to compete. To have three RHS athletes selected in the same year is a testament to their talent, dedication and commitment throughout the season.
Congratulations to Tillie, Ava and Femi on this enormous achievement. The entire RHS community is incredibly proud of their success, and we wish them every success as they represent both Suffolk and Royal Hospital School on the national stage.
School Records Broken During the 2026 Season
Individual Records
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Tillie J – Year 10 Girls' 200m School Record (broken repeatedly throughout the season and improved five times).
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Aidan H – Year 7 Boys' 200m School Record (previous record stood since 1987).
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Phoebe P- Year 8 Girls' 1500m School Record (equalled previous record from 1998).
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Davina O – Year 8 Girls 75m Hurdle record and Year 8 Girls' Long Jump School Record (previous record stood since 1999).
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Saskia W – Year 10 Girls' 300m School Record (previous record stood since 1998).
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Femi SA– Year 13 Boys' 400m School Record.
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Tim P – School Shot Put Record with 14.57m, surpassing the previous mark by more than 1.5m.
Relay Records
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Year 10/11 Girls' 4x100m Relay Team (Saskia W, Bella C, Kuini M and Tillie J) – RHS School Record.
Congratulations to all RHS athletes on an outstanding 2026 season.