King’s Inns to launch a Fitness Challenge this Michaelmas Term

To encourage some camaraderie while we all work, live and learn through social distancing, King’s Inns is hosting a Fitness Challenge during Michaelmas Term (the first term of the legal year). We are encouraging our entire community – students, staff, lecturers, visiting speakers, members and alumni, neighbours and suppliers (friends and families are also invited to participate) – to work together and run, row, walk, swim, spin, trot or travel via wheelchair to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)!

Now, King’s Inns do not expect you to actually go there, but the challenge is to complete 1195km as part of a team between October 12 and December 13. 1195km is the approximate distance by road / ferry from King’s Inns to the CJEU in Luxembourg.

(c) Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg

Building team spirit

King’s Inns is keen to promote exercise and working together for physical and mental wellbeing during these unprecedented times. In particular, we recognise that incoming students will have limited opportunity to get to know each other, students from other courses, staff and tutor panels. Also with no on–campus events taking place, we have limited opportunities to casually chat to students, members and the wider alumni network. 

The challenge can be completed in teams of 2 to 6 people and you can divide the distance among you. So individually you can complete as much or as little as you want depending on how many you want to be part of your team and your fitness levels. The challenge can be completed together (following socially distancing measures) or separately, using technology to track distance covered.

King’s Inns do wish to encourage everyone to build a team of people you might not know among our network and get to know them throughout this process. Perhaps half of your team can be made up of people you might not know? Friends and family of our community are welcome to join the challenge also.

Have some fun

Please note the challenge is not about who completes the challenge first! It is more about the journey – working together and having some much–needed fun. We want to see the different ways participants will complete the challenge – will you walk or run up hills or mountains? Will you cycle the coastline? Will you plan an adventure in our gorgeous parks and nature reserves in urban and rural Ireland? Will you row or swim some of the way?? Or will you clock up your kilometres as you carry out your daily tasks – walking to work or your local shop, cycling the kids to school? 

Will you meet up with your teams (socially distancing of course) or will you use technology to complete the challenge together from opposites ends of the country! It is up to you, just be creative, work together to clock up the kilometres, have some fun and get to know each other. 

Throughout the challenge, we will be sharing some motivational videos and tips from some health, wellness and fitness experts. These will be shared on our website and through our social channels.

Supporting a local charity

All participants will (hopefully) obtain benefits in the form of improved fitness and stamina, better relationships with their teammates, and a sense of achievement. More importantly, together we will raise much–needed funds for The Capuchin Day Centre this winter season.

75% of the entry fee will be donated to charity with the 25% used for spot prizes.

We will also set up a separate donation page (via iDonate) which teams can use to seek support from their families and friends in completing this task (optional). All funds raised here will go to The Capuchin Day Centre. 

Tracking

Teams can choose their own tracking devices and apps (samples below) to keep a track of their distance travelled. At the end of the challenge, we will ask the Team Captain to email in screenshots of the distance completed by their teams. 

• Nike Run Club
• MapMyRun
• Polar or Garmin devices/apps
• Most smartwatches and phones

Again, it is not about who completes it first, so do not even try and cheat! If your team can only complete half the distance in the timeframe but during the process they have some fun, build some team spirit and get to know each other, we see that team as a winner.

Registration details

Registration is open. Teams can register anytime between Wednesday 7 October and Saturday 31 October. 

Register here 

Challenge timeframe: Monday 12 October and runs until Sunday 13 December (9–weeks / 63–days to complete)

Cost: €30 per person. 

• Team entry, minimum of 2 people and maximum of 6 per team. 
• King’s Inns entire community can participate – students, staff, lecturers, visiting speakers, members and alumni, neighbours and suppliers – friends and families are invited to join also. 
• Run, row, walk, swim, spin, trot or travel via wheelchair to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) – 1195km to complete. 
• Please give yourselves a team name which you can use to track distance progress and to gather donations via our donation page. 
• You must select a team captain who will communicate with King’s Inns on your progress. 
• Registration and payment will be made through the King’s Inns website. 
• Teams can pay individually or as a group. 

Communications

We are encouraging students, staff, lecturers, members and the wider alumni network (and friends and family members too) to share their progress on social (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn). 

Twitter is our preferred social network and here is where most of the activity will take place. 

Please tag @KingsInns in and use the hashtag #KITEAMSPIRIT and will share many of your posts on our networks. We might have some prizes for the teams who have the most fun competing this challenge! More details to follow. 

Help to build your team 

Our Member Relations Officer Diane Sutton can assist if you would like help in building a team. Email her at members@kingsinns.ie or contact Diane on Twitter at @DianeSutton_. Or place a message up on Twitter by tagging us in a tweet and we will share on our network to help you build a team.