A TANGible aura at Athletics Carnival

By Yannis Ng

On the 12th of March, 2026, Renaissance College held its annual Athletics Carnival. On the sunny day, students across the four houses participated and competed in various track & field events for the top prize. Tang emerged as the winner of this year’s Athletics Carnival, with Ming, Song, and Qing following close behind.

Each year, Athletics Carnival features a host of races from 100m to 1500m, as well as field events like javelin and long jump. As usual, the races were an absolute thrill. For the first time in years, the senior girls’ 100m and 200m races became competitive as Sarah Cheng ‘26, who was always far ahead of everyone, sat out this year. RCHK’s two best runners, Milo O’Neill ‘26 and Kelly Megan ‘27, traded blows in the 800m and 400m, with Kelly taking the 800m gold and Milo winning the 400m gold.

“Athletics Carnival has always been the highlight of my year: a celebration of sport to look forward to, and a chance to race against my friends without the pressures of Black Kites competition,” Milo said. “I feel incredibly grateful to have had so many fulfilling experiences, and hope that the event maintains its importance in the school calendar for many years to come.”

For those who don’t enjoy running, Athletics Carnival also offered “Drop In Point Scorers” (DIPS) challenges. These comprised activities like pull-ups, push-ups, a timed plank, a standing broad jump, and more. Many were surprised to see students recording up to 30 pull-ups on the leaderboard, with one teacher commenting: “Are they cheating?” 

Due to heavy rain last year, the Tug of War was unfortunately cancelled, leading to the disappointment of many optimistic students. This year, Tang house dominated with sheer strength and power. Yannis Ng ‘29 said, “When we went up against Tang, we knew we were going to lose because of the muscle they had on their team.” Besides their physical strength, they also had Mr. Boak, who acted as the team’s anchor and spirit. Despite the results, all houses showed excellent sportsmanship, congratulating each other regardless of whether they won or lost.

If the loud music, fervent cheering, and hot sun wasn’t for you, there was also a quiet area to spark creativity and mindfulness. Located just outside the event zone, this area was dedicated to students who wanted to get away from the noise and sit down for quiet activities.

Originally a zone for specific students selected by support staff, the area has evolved into a space for anyone who needs to tone down. This was made possible by the efforts of Idea Weavers, a leadership team consisting of neurodivergent girls who promote and support neurodiversity around the school. “In the past, this was targeted towards certain students depending on who the LET teachers chose, but this year it is open to all students,” said Ms. Richter, the organizer of the quiet zone. She also noted that the quiet zone gave students “a break from the ongoing noise and activity of [their] surroundings and to take a rest.”

This proved successful, as many students seeking peace populated the area. “I think it’s good because it’s a space for people with ADHD to go to get away from noise. I see shapes, colors, and patterns when there’s noise, so getting away and calming down after events is helpful,” commented Lessie Houghton, ‘31.

Finally, as all good things must come to an end, this was the 2026 graduating cohort’s last Athletics Carnival. Many showed their spirit on this important day by dressing up in inflatables and competing in the annual Year 13 mascot race. There were birds, ducks, upside-down clowns, muscle men, and even characters from The Lorax passing a Truffula tree as a baton. The muscle men won, although some complained that their costume didn’t sufficiently restrict their running, putting them at an advantage. Nex Ding ‘26, a member of Team Ducks, said: “[The muscle men] were cheating. It says a lot that we almost caught up to them, even though we had to waddle around the track.” 

“The upside down clowns were my favourite,” Ella Wong ‘29 said of the bizarre mascot costumes. “I couldn’t stop watching them run, I was so fascinated—I’d be terrified if they started chasing me down a dark hotel hallway.” It was certainly a spectacle to watch!

“I’m very sad that the Athletics Carnival is over. It has been so fun to participate in races—especially the 1500m and 800m—and it’s hard to believe that my time is coming to an end. It’s also really exciting to see RCHK’s talented pool of young long-distance runners grow. While our old heavy hitters of Milo, Kelly and co are on their way out, we have some terrific prospects—Bono, Clement, and Adrian, to name a few—who will certainly keep our standards high. As a renowned below-average runner, nothing excites me more than that,” said Ryan Ng ‘26, who is graduating this year.

Some words of advice: participate in the games! You’ll never know if you like it unless you try. “Try out running. Sign up for all the races. I started running in Year 10, and my only wish is that I had started earlier!” Ryan said. “In Year 7, I spent sports day gaming in the stands—if you’re anything like how I was, you should totally sign up for a race. It’s far more fun than you think.”

This year’s Athletics Carnival was certainly a comeback from last year’s rainy doom and gloom, bringing back joy and spirit on a beautiful sunny day. I hope you found joy however you spent your time, and good luck to the Year 13s who are graduating!