Harrow Ducker｜Running to Honor Tradition, Moving Forward with Love

The breeze lifts the school flag, and cheers rise from the track.
The annual Harrow Ducker sets off once again.
At Harrow Beijing, this is not only a sporting gala,
but also a relay from heart to heart.
Every step and every cheer is the best annotation of
“courage, honour, humility, fellowship.”
When students, parents, and teachers run side by side,
we see the warmest expression of the Harrow spirit.

Origins of the Tradition
From Harrow-on-the-Hill in London: Long Ducker
Long Ducker originates from the charitable long-distance running tradition of Harrow School in the UK. Historically, Harrow’s students, teachers, alumni, and parents would follow Harrow Road built by John Lyon, running from Marble Arch in central London to Harrow-on-the-Hill, raising funds for charity through sponsored runs.

Today, this tradition continues across Harrow family schools. Routes and distances are set according to the geography and physical abilities of each community, while the core spirit remains unchanged: using sport to connect charity and community. Year after year, we honour tradition through running and gather strength through our sweat. In the moments of crossing the finish line time and again, we witness students, parents, and teachers walking hand in hand and achieving one another.

Moving Forward with Charity
In Partnership with “Our Learning House”

This year, we extended this warmth even further – children from Our Learning House, a public-interest partner with deep ties to Harrow Beijing, also joined this celebration of love and running. Founded by a former Harrow Beijing parent, the centre is dedicated to providing integrated full-day care featuring educational rehabilitation and psychological support for 2-8 year-old children in special and difficult circumstances (including disabled orphans), helping them and their families better integrate into society.

On the event day, the children of Our Learning House moved forward shoulder to shoulder with the students and staff of Harrow Beijing. Amid applause and cheers, their sincere smiles embodied the sporting spirit of “participation for everyone.” The school also prepared thoughtful gifts for the participating children, and Mr Phil Akerman, the Headmaster, greeted the children and teachers on site, conveying the warmth and support of the Harrow community.

Creativity and Passion
Adding Warmth to Running on Campus

It is worth noting that the commemorative T-shirt for this Harrow Ducker was independently designed by students. From the initial concept sketches and colour palettes to the final artwork, every step gathered students’ creative ideas and teamwork.

On the starting day, all participating students and staff put on this special T-shirt, forming in the sunlight a vibrant, unified, and distinctly Harrow scene along the track. This is not only a visual memory of the event, but also a vivid footnote to students leading campus activities and expressing the Harrow spirit through creativity.

Beyond the track, students independently set up charity stalls, offering warm tea, drinking water, and energy supplies to runners and spectators. All proceeds from the day’s sales and donations will be donated in full to Our Learning House to advance the school’s charitable partnerships and community initiatives.

At Harrow Beijing, we encourage students to understand “charity” as a sustained way of life – it can begin with a single run, and it can also extend into a plan, a service, or a sincere act of care.

Public-service learning and community engagement are indispensable parts of Harrow’s holistic education. In this year’s Harrow Ducker, students were not only “runners,” but also organisers, service providers, and storytellers.

Through authentic experiences they learned teamwork, felt responsibility and care, and gradually shaped a more complete self-portrait: balancing self-discipline, resilience, empathy, leadership, and a spirit of collaboration. These qualities are exactly the competencies and evidence most valued by world-class universities. At the same time, Harrow Ducker allows students to bring classroom concepts into the real world – to influence the community through action and to earn trust through responsibility.

Keon A
Year 12 student
“It makes me both happy and honoured to do my part for the children supported by the charity. When I reached the final lap and people around me kept cheering and applauding, I was very excited – as if all the effort had received its response. Running side by side with classmates and friends and encouraging one another, we built especially strong friendships through each pace and sprint.”

Parent side by side
Leading by Example
Unlike previous years, parents were grouped by age to participate, and many challenged themselves on Harrow’s course, even setting new personal bests (PB). When children see their parents and teachers warming up, starting, and finishing together, the spirit of sport is no longer abstract; the value of “lifelong exercise” also becomes visible, learnable, and inheritable over a distance completed as a family. Harrow Beijing’s campus culture is continuously built in such intergenerational moments of being on the same field and inspiring one another.

Liam C
Head of PE, Lower School
Luis G
Head of PE, Upper School
“As Heads of PE for the Lower School and Upper School, we are very pleased that this year’s Harrow Ducker was a complete success. From weeks of early preparation and student-led, proactive participation to the warm atmosphere on the day, this event once again became one of Harrow Beijing’s annual highlights, perfectly showcasing sporting spirit and community cohesion.

One of the most moving aspects of this event is how it connected the entire campus community. Kindergarten children took part in fun, age-appropriate mini-runs, experiencing the joy of exercise in a pleasant atmosphere and cultivating confidence, team spirit, and resilience; students in the Lower School and Upper School faced their longest running challenges to date, running with determination and pride. It was also a moment of role-modelling – older students cheered for younger children, conveying a caring and inclusive campus culture.

Equally important, this event not only helps improve students’ physical fitness but also promotes mental health. It offers students the chance to set personal goals, overcome challenges, and enjoy exercise – in a non-competitive, highly supportive environment where they can feel the joy of movement. This shared sense of achievement is a powerful motivator and helps them build a lifelong positive attitude toward health and fitness.

Harrow Ducker has now become a bridge between families and the school. Whether parents ran side by side with their children on the course, cheered enthusiastically from the sidelines, served as volunteers, or assisted with raffles and fundraising, everyone experienced a sense of belonging and common purpose on this day.

Family participation is a key factor in a school’s success, and events like this bring us closer together – especially when they support meaningful charitable projects such as Our Learning House. We are deeply grateful for the passion and generosity shown by the entire community!”

Sport is a key strategic focus for the construction and development of Harrow Beijing’s campus community culture. After the Harrow Ducker, we will continue to launch sports activities such as Parent Football Tea and a home–school badminton league, extending the positive cycle of “sport + charity + community” throughout the year.

May every drop of sweat return from the track to everyday life, and may every bit of passion and kindness continue to grow on the campus of Harrow Beijing, influencing a wider world!