Athletics Carnival 2025: The Schoolwide Saga of Competition and Community

By Cadence Elfassy

From recovering from the loss of a loved one to raising self-esteem after a failed test, and even to lengths such as restoring a community's faith in the wake of a natural disaster, one of humanity's greatest strengths is our sense of spirit. To fuel each other, build relationships, and develop trust, cheering on both friends and foes has been a consistent theme throughout history. Now, you may be wondering how this could relate to the 2025 Athletics Carnival in the slightest. Well, at RCHK, instead of healing the tragedies of poverty or mending conflicts, the issue that school spirit addressed was the individual fight to work hard, run hard, and succeed—an effort seen every Sports Day.

Running is a sport that pushes you to your absolute limit. Athletes sprint down the burnt-red track, their footsteps leaving behind dull ‘thuds’ as stamina is tested and endurance is built. When we add community and competition to this, however, the results are nothing short of extraordinary—as proven by the remarkable feats that left many students proud of themselves.

Every year holds new adventures when it comes to House spirit events—a fact widely known and accepted among the students of Renaissance College, and this year was no exception. Prior to Thursday, heavy rain and a significant temperature drop put a damper on the festivities of camaraderie and enthusiasm.

However, if there is one thing that RCHK students are, it is resilient. On the 6th of March, hundreds of people marched through the rain all the way to the local Ma On Shan track, where shivering, chattering teeth, and steadfast enthusiasm could be seen. The day was a fun one—with singing performances, running horse costumes, cheering friends, and a range of available competitions for just about everyone to try out. Although teamwork wasn’t the only trait highlighted that day—competition was fierce, motivating runners to dash past each other in pursuit of that exclusive first-place spot.

We all know how healthy competition is for growing minds, but how does an RCHK track winner handle the pressure of racing? Well, we interviewed Ellie Blackman, winner of the 1500-meter race, for answers. “Something that is really important, both in sports generally and in this year's Sports Day, is setting goals and putting all your focus on whichever race you’re doing at the moment. For example, I stuck to one consistent pace in the 1500m run and kept my mind on other topics. That is probably my best advice for new runners.”

Looking back on yet another Sports Day at Renaissance College, one can only marvel at the special moments and sense of community that occasions like this bring—both fueling students’ aerobic fitness and providing well-deserved time away from the stress of studies for a day of fun in the rain. One can only hope that in the future, readers of both The RC Truth and general audiences will give running a try and take part in the healthy competition occurring at the Ma On Shan track each year.