University News Last updated 23 March 2018
Staff and students at Birmingham City University have completed a 369-mile endurance challenge which has seen them run, cycle and row the distance from Edgbaston to the Eiffel Tower for Sport Relief.
The activity was backed by Birmingham City University Chancellor Sir Lenny Henry, who voiced his support for the event which used rowing machines, spin bikes and people power to cover the equivalent of the distance between Birmingham and Paris.
Participants were tasked with pledging their time and energy to contribute to the three segments of the route and help raise money for the cause on Thursday March 22.
Based in Birmingham City University’s brand new Health, Education and Life Sciences building, the event gave participants just six hours to contribute to completing the full distance, with the challenge completed with 20 minutes to spare.
The event was the first opportunity for many staff, students and members of the public to see the £41 million new building at the University’s City South Campus, which will boast state-of-the-art facilities and industry standard sports equipment.
Among the new facilities will be an Environmental Chamber, used by elite athletes to replicate the experience of exercising in extreme conditions such as sub-zero temperatures, up to 5,000 metres altitude or in dessert heats.
Sir Lenny Henry, Chancellor of Birmingham City University, said: “I am very proud to see staff and students at Birmingham City University supporting Sport Relief.
Birmingham City University’s Sport Relief challenge follows the success of last year’s Big Birmingham Bounce which saw hundreds of people at its City Centre Campus take on trampoline fitness classes throughout the day.
Mark Jeffreys, Director of Sport and Physical Activity at Birmingham City University, said:
“It's great to see staff and students working together to raise money for such a great cause. The fact that they covered so many miles in such a tight period of time makes it all the more impressive. We even completed our Sport Relief challenge 20 minutes early.
“With the work we are doing around the University to get as many staff and students as possible involved in sports, this is great example of bringing people together to take part. We're very proud of them all.”
The University’s new building will also be equipped with an anti-gravity treadmill used for physical therapy rehabilitation and training, a biomechanics lab kitted with Kistler Force Plates and motion capture software, an array of high-tech strength and conditioning equipment, and a DEXA body scanner for body fat, bone and lean muscle mass assessments.
It means students will be able to take advantage of industry standard equipment for their studies, while the University’s partnership with Warwickshire County Cricket Club also gives them the opportunities to work alongside professional athletes.