Despite the challenging weather at The Pringles Stadium in Nuneaton, a young Eastbourne Rovers athlete from St Andrew’s Prep has made headlines for his remarkable performance at the National Athletics Championships on the 3rd of July. Nathan Burge, a pupil of the preparatory school, brought home a handful of medals and even smashed a long-standing Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) record.
The IAPS is an association with a total membership of 165,000 pupils across 616 of the UK’s leading prep schools, and more than 660 worldwide. The National Athletics Championships provide a platform for these young athletes to demonstrate their sporting prowess, and this year, Nathan most certainly did not disappoint.
The young athlete had previously demonstrated his athletic prowess in the qualifications held at the K2 Stadium in Crawley, where he dominated both the 100m and 200m sprints, even breaking the IAPS record for the 200m event.
Upon arrival in Nuneaton, however, the weather proved uncooperative. Intermittent bouts of intense sun, storms, and gusty winds were an additional challenge to the already bustling schedule of events. Yet, against these odds, Nathan showcased his resilience and tenacity.
Nathan ran a powerful 100m heat, triumphing with a time that was a tenth of a second shy of the IAPS 11.50 second record – a record that has stood since 1978. He also bagged victory in the 200m heat, clocking in at a speedy 23.67 seconds, all before the 100m final.
The 100m final was a fiercely contested race, but Nathan clinched victory with a blistering time of 11.45 seconds, shattering the 45-year-old IAPS record. Regrettably, the strong wind on the day of the competition detracted slightly from his triumphant moment.
The 4x100m relay that followed was carried out under tempestuous conditions, and despite a valiant effort, the team only managed to secure a place in the final as the fastest losers.
After the relay, an understandably fatigued Burge was back on the track for the 200m final. Despite missing out on the gold by a hair’s breadth – a mere tenth of a second – he still earned a respectable silver medal with a time of 23.94 seconds.
The final event of the day saw the relay team put in another commendable effort but were unfortunately surpassed by the competition.
Each year, the IAPS bestows the Corden Cup, named after the previous chairman of the association, to one male and one female athlete for the outstanding performance of the championship. This year, the coveted accolade was awarded to Nathan Burge in recognition of his dominant performance at the K2, his record-breaking 100m run, and his exemplary sportsmanship.
Despite the mixed weather conditions and strong competition, Nathan’s performance in Nuneaton demonstrated that with determination, skill, and a little bit of grit, records are indeed meant to be broken.