London Landmarks Half Marathon

Our Runners

Jon Lidiard

Staff

Jon Lidiard is Deputy Head Pastoral at Sevenoaks School. He is a keen runner and advocates for the health and wellbeing benefits of running and exercise, especially in today’s busy world.

Jon says, “Having been fortunate enough to experience a transformative education as a result of an assisted place, I understand the importance of providing the opportunity for young people from all walks of life to experience an education such as that provided by Sevenoaks School. Education has the power to transform individual lives, but also by extension the lives of families and whole communities. For this to have its greatest impact, diversity of intake is crucial, which hinges on diversity of opportunity. This fundraising supports that cause, which is why I am committed to playing my small part.”

Cath Nicholson

Staff

Cath has worked at Sevenoaks School since 2006 and is currently a Critical Thinking teacher, Sixth Form tutor, and Head of Hockey. Cath played for England and Great Britain 64 times, winning a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and has enjoyed building up the hockey programme so that Sevenoaks School now competes on the national stage and wins titles. Cath is a parent of twins in Year 8 and also previously spent nine years in boarding as an Assistant House Mistress in Park Grange and Johnsons boarding houses.

Cath says, “I have worked at Sevenoaks for 19 years, and can wholeheartedly vouch for what an outstanding school it is. I am passionate about young people accessing the best education they possibly can. For me, no one should ever miss out on that opportunity in life. I’m really pleased to be doing what I can to help towards more financially assisted places, as it is so important to increase these.”

Viktoria Genova

OS 2021

Vicky knows first-hand how valuable and transformative the educational experience is at Sevenoaks School. In 2019 she was offered a Sixth Form place fully funded through financial assistance. This was an opportunity she never imagined she could receive.

Her precious time at Sevenoaks School taught her new subjects and ideas, empowering her to think ambitiously about her future, as well as introducing her to some of her closest friends.

Looking back, she knows she would not have had the same opportunities if she didn’t study at Sevenoaks, which is part of her motivation to run the half marathon. She considers her two years at Sevenoaks to be the most significant years of her school education and personal development. She believes she would have never been able to grow in the same way without the opportunity of financial support.

Vicky says, “I have wanted to run a half marathon for a few years now, but never found the time to do it while I was studying. I’m also very busy adjusting to my new job and studying towards a professional qualification. I wanted to make time for my health and to reintroduce running into my daily routine, so when I saw the opportunity to get involved in the LLHM I knew I should participate. I really want to help someone from my background to access the same incredible experience I did.”

Johannes Ern

OS 2005

Johannes (OS 2005), from Düsseldorf, is married with two children aged five and two. He works in real estate in his family company in Germany.

When he saw the announcement of the run in the OS newsletter, he thought ‘That’s a great goal for 2025, a great way to contribute, and a great way to connect with Sevenoaks friends and the school!’

Johannes is teaming up with Mugwe Manga from the same year group, currently based in Kenya, and they are working as a pair on their fundraising and running. Johannes intends to ‘keep up’ with his friend for as much of the run as possible, even though Mugwe claims to be training with Kenyan Marathon Olympians!

Johannes says, “Two dads, two countries, one goal. As proud members of the infamous International Centre (IC) boarding house at Sevenoaks School, we’re running for more than glory; it’s about giving back to a school that shaped our lives, and creating opportunities for others to thrive. I have recently started doing more sports again, and running the half marathon in April is a great target to work towards and also a chance to reconnect with the school and other Old Sennockians.”

Mugwe Manga

OS 2005

Mugwe (OS 2005) studied at Sevenoaks School as an international boarder, living at the International Centre (IC) boarding house.

Living in Kenya and working in the Climate and Energy sector, Mugwe sees daily the importance of building a sustainable future and supporting communities with a lasting impact. Sevenoaks School instilled in him a sense of responsibility and global awareness, values that have shaped his career and personal commitments.

Mugwe says, “Running this half marathon allows me to give back to a school that played a pivotal role in my development, while also supporting causes aligned with my professional focus on sustainable development.”

Beatrice Mongiello

OS 2021

Beatrice graduated from Sevenoaks School in 2021, after spending two years as a boarder in Girls International House (GIH). She graduated from UCL and last June started working in consulting.

This summer she bought her first pair of running shoes, began enjoying it and started running longer and longer distances. When she saw this opportunity she thought it would be a great way to keep herself motivated during the colder months while giving back to a great cause.

Beatrice says, “Running the LLHM for Sevenoaks would, for one, allow me to help give students who may not otherwise be able to afford tuition the chance to experience the education, environment, friendship, and growth that I was lucky enough to live through during my time at Sevenoaks. This school helped me develop into who I am today and I strongly believe my entire life trajectory would be different had I not spent those two years in that quiet and beautiful town in Kent.”

Val Simpson

Former Parent

Val’s daughter is Zoe (OS 2024) who has just gone to University. Val has been a Personal Trainer for seven years, after a career in the City, specialising in strength training for women and loves lifting heavy weights.

Val is passionate about fundraising for financially assisted places at Sevenoaks School, to give talented students access to education they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford. She believes that education is the key to breaking down barriers and creating opportunities. Although running a half marathon this year will be challenging, she describes it as “nothing compared to the hurdles that many students face when it comes to accessing education”.

Val believes financially assisted places promote diversity and support the leaders, thinkers, business owners, inventors, adventurers and creatives of tomorrow.

This is Val’s first big run since completing her only marathon in Paris 15 years ago. Val says, ‘It is getting harder and harder to afford private education. With the recent increase in VAT we would not have been able to send both our kids to independent schools.”

Ashutosh Shah

Former Parent

Ashutosh is a parent of Anushrut (OS 2017). Ashutosh is an engineer who mostly worked in the Oil and Gas sector with British Gas, Enron and Repsol. He retired a couple of years ago.

After hanging up his work boots, he picked up his running shoes and recently completed his 100th parkrun. He ran the Edinburgh half marathon, almost a decade ago, and he thought that was the end of his long distance running. His son’s suggestion to run for financially assisted places rekindled his aspiration to take on another running challenge.

Ashutosh says, “This great cause provides opportunities for someone to attend an exceptional institution like Sevenoaks, and fulfil their dreams. I believe there are few things more transformative in a child’s life than their education; it truly forms the foundation for their entire future. That’s why I’ve decided to join this team of current and former Sevenoaks School parents, alumni and teachers running the London Landmarks Half Marathon to help raise funds for the Sevenoaks School Foundation.”

Julian Ross

Current Parent

Julian has four children who have been or are currently at Sevenoaks School. Amelia (OS 2021) is in her fourth year at medical school, William (OS 2023) is a second year engineering student, Sophie is in the Upper Sixth about to do her IB and his youngest son James (the quickest runner in the family) is in Year 9.

Julian says, “As a parent of four children, I believe (and I hope most people would agree) that there is little more important than providing children with a good education. It is the foundation for the whole of their lives. That’s why I’m joining a team of current and former Sevenoaks School parents, alumni and teachers to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon to help raise funds for Sevenoaks School Foundation. My children have all been fortunate enough to benefit from a great Sevenoaks education and I’d like to support the Foundation to provide that for other children too. Plus, I really enjoy running (this will be my fifth organised half marathon). So, it’s a win-win!”

Sujata Setia

Current Parent

Sujata moved to the UK from India in 2009. A former journalist and radio host, she completed a Masters in International Relations from Kings College London. She went on to follow a non-linear career path that led her to becoming a photographer alongside social impact based interdisciplinary work. She now describes herself as an artist.

This is her very first half marathon and she is not an experienced sportsperson. Sujata is taking on this challenge to support her mental health and because her daughter, who joined Sevenoaks last year, truly loves the wholesome and nurturing culture of the school.

Sujata says, “This cause is deeply personal to me. Growing up in a patriarchal cultural setting in India, education was a privilege for me not a given. At every milestone in my education journey, I had to justify the need for it. I had to fight for it and all of that has played a crucial role in shaping who I am today. Breaking that cycle of limited opportunities was a dream I worked hard to achieve – not just for myself but for my daughter who joined Sevenoaks last year. I’ve seen first-hand how the school’s nurturing, holistic environment inspires young minds to thrive and I want to help extend that opportunity to another child.”

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