25.

Meet this week’s Teacher Feature…

Rob Gaygan – A running journey

“I pitched up in a pair of Dunlop Green Flash trainers, white socks, white shorts and a proper vest….” 

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I’m not one who often looks back on things but being asked to write this got me thinking of why and how running is such an important part of my life. I was 10 years old and the local market town where we lived hosted a half marathon and fun run. The fun run was a couple of miles and I pitched up in a pair of Dunlop green flash trainers, white socks, white shorts and a proper vest. Not a running vest, but a white vest that you wear in winter. I was doing it with a bunch of family and friends and had never been on the start line of a mass event before. The intention was to all jog around together and enjoy the experience. However, 2 minutes in and I was bitten by the bug. No watch, no mile markers, no real clue of the route but I loved the freedom and how it made me feel. The thing I will never forget is that the longer I ran for the more comfortable I felt. Up until that point the furthest I had run was a couple of laps at high school, but this road running thing was something else.

I ended up finishing top 20, crossed the finish line and genuinely thought I could do it again (and wanted to do it again). More importantly, I loved every single second of it. That was it. The road running/ long distance running thing was here to stay.

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I’ll spare you the next decade but suffice to say it was ‘the thing’ I did. Not really running races but running long distances. No formal coaching or being part of a club, it was the solitude and being on my own that I loved so much. Plus, that feeling you have at the end of a run. You know the one I mean. That mix of exhaustion, euphoria, satisfaction and pride. It was something that I didn’t get from any other sporting activity that I had tried. I am socially anxious and really struggle in group situations, but running let me escape, be in my own thoughts, think about everything, think about nothing. It didn’t really matter. Sometimes I ran with music, sometimes I didn’t. No rhyme or reason behind any of the decisions I made, and it was just the case of going with the flow.

I’m not a career teacher and started my professional career as an economist and trader for a couple of the big corporate banks. The job afforded me the opportunity to travel a fair bit and while I was never great with learning another language, taking a pair of trainers wherever I went always seemed to knock down a fair few of the culture and language differences that may have existed. It was also a great way to see the places where I was staying at the time.

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I started my teaching career aged 30 and love being a maths teacher. I was a student of the original GTP scheme and got such a buzz being in the classroom. I threw myself into as many things as possible – running a football team, going on school trips (skiing and activity events), Duke of Edinburgh and sports days. It gave me an opportunity to show students another side of me and play my small part in pushing the sporting/ activity bit with young people.

Outside of school I continued my running and completed London a couple of times, as well as Manchester and Brighton marathons, along with numerous ½ marathons and 10Ks. Timing was important to me, but even when I wasn’t training for something, running was always the thing I turned to. If I wasn’t running, then I was watching or reading stuff about running, particularly the longer distances. It was at this time that I got the triathlon bug. Fascinated by the whole concept and knowing I would be OK at the second two disciplines; the swimming thing petrified me. I started being able to swim no further than 4 or 5 lengths of the local pool, but little by little I got more competent and with the help of a coach even tried the open water thing. Although my time doing Triathlons is now done (the time it took to train was immense – and it was bloody expensive), I look back on my 3 completed Ironman Triathlons as my greatest sporting achievements.

Although that ship has sailed, the door that it did open was one of ultramarathons. Not having to run for a time or place is liberating and just being out on my own, plodding along for 50k (or more) is proper good fun. Hard work at times, but I absolutely love it. On that note, I’ve got one itch left to scratch and that is to complete a 100 miler. Once that is done then I’m pretty sure I will be happy with my lot.

What motivates me more at the minute is the little running club we have got going at school. I started it in my school in 2019 after having a conversation with a colleague who wanted to start running but didn’t have confidence to either join an official club or go out on their own.

Nothing official, just a bunch of people getting together once per week for 45 minutes. We went from 4 to 12 regular participants quite quickly and were just building some momentum when a small thing called Covid got in the way. After this enforced break, I eventually found the time to rekindle it about 12 months ago. The concept is super simple – We meet every Wednesday at 3.45 at the Welfare patio and we run/ jog/ walk (or any combination of that) around a fully signed 500m loop, that is 100% onsite. This means that nobody is ever left behind or finishes last. We start and finish at the same time and people challenge themselves to whatever personal goal they have. There is a hard core of 10-15 who turn up every week, plus others who come when they can. To give some perspective on abilities and range, some will complete 6-7km every week, while others will have a 2k walk. It simply doesn’t matter and the reason for turning up every week is completely personal. For example, there are some who are using it as a training session for an upcoming event, while others just want to get out and have a walk and decompress.

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” …if your contracted hours mean that you don’t finish before the start of run club then you can still turn up and not have to make the time back..”

There are a couple of other things that are agreed. We share everything on the group Strava account, and we collate kilometres collectively, regardless of how much or how little anybody does each week. The second deal is that if your contracted hours mean that you don’t finish before the start of run club then you can still turn up and not have to make the time back.

I’m fortunate that I am Vice Principal at the school, so I have a bit of clout, and my aim is to get rid of as many barriers as possible. Wear what you want. Go with a group or run on your own. Listen to music, talk to others, or be in your own world, it’s your call. We are only open to school staff because I want to try and get community spirit across school and without doubt the biggest buzz I get is seeing two people from different areas of school running/walking together – and then coming back the following week.

From a personal challenge standpoint, the 2025 season started last week for me. A local half marathon completed in 1hr 29 minutes and there are 3 more in the diary as I build up to London at the end of April, which in turn is a stepping stone to the Jurassic Coast 100k in late May.

I’m not running them for a time or a place. I’m running them because I can, that I’m lucky enough to be able to, and know just how much of a positive impact running has on every aspect of my life. If by doing that I can share that joy with others, then all the better.