By Mrs Mason-McLeod (Director of Sport)
Following the cancellation of Sports Day in the summer term due to the extreme heat, BGS Senior School Sports Day returned to Bedford International Athletic Stadium at the start of the Autumn Term.
The change of date meant that, for the first time, Year 11 and Upper Sixth students were able to take part, and our new Year 7 students had an immediate taste of Senior School Sports Day at BGS. House colours filled the stands as Austen, Chanel, Franklin, Hepburn, Nightingale and Parks competed across a packed programme of track and field events, with strong support from the stands throughout the afternoon. It was also good to welcome many new and current families to the stadium, giving our community an early opportunity to come together in the school year.
Thank you to all the staff who helped make the afternoon possible, including the commentary box team and Mrs Redfern, who commentated throughout the event. Thanks also to Mr Castro, who started all the track races, and to the many staff who supported events across the stadium, from timekeeping and judging to marshalling and encouraging competitors. The Association (PTA) provided ice lollies for all the students, and families were able to enjoy refreshments from the coffee van. Mr Rattu captured some great moments from across the afternoon, and we hope you enjoy looking through his photographs.
Athletically, there were strong performances across all year groups, with students throwing, jumping and running for valuable House points. One of the standout performances came from Emily Elphick in the Intermediate Girls’ Javelin, who produced a throw of 35.18m, breaking a BGS Sports Day record that had stood for nine years and surpassing the previous record by over four metres.
In the Junior competition (Years 7-8), Nightingale claimed first place, followed by Hepburn in second and Austen in third. The Intermediate competition (Years 9-10) saw Hepburn take the top spot, with Parks finishing second and Franklin third. Hepburn continued their success in the Senior competition (Years 11-Upper Sixth), taking first place ahead of Nightingale in second and Parks in third. With all the points combined, the final overall standings saw Chanel finish sixth, Franklin fifth, Austen fourth, Nightingale third and Parks second. Hepburn took the 2026 BGS Sports Day title.
Congratulations to every student who competed, supported and contributed to the event. After the summer cancellation, it was good to bring Years 7 to Upper Sixth together for Sports Day and to welcome so many families to share the occasion. An afternoon of athletics, teamwork and House pride, and a positive start to another year of sport at BGS.
View photos here.
