RPHM Runners 2026

Matt has recently joined the Sevenoaks School community with his son just reaching the end of Year 7. Just as his son has got out of the blocks fast embracing all the great opportunities on offer in the school, Matt is hoping to put on a good showing in the upcoming Royal Parks Half Marathon.

Matt is a keen runner and is going to use this opportunity to hopefully get his legs back up to race pace after a few years of a more sedentary life. He’s excited and privileged to raise money for such a great cause and allow others to access the great opportunities that Sevenoaks School provides. Not afraid to embarrass himself for charity, Matt is open to suggestions as to maximise how much he can raise!

Deb’s daughter Ellie received a scholarship topped up with a bursary from Sevenoaks School. She watched her become a competent writer, speaker and mathematician. She achieved an IB score good enough to be accepted at the Royal Veterinary College. She captained the hockey team and is now an outstanding Equine vet.

“I may be a little biased but I have so much to thank Sevenoaks School for. I couldn’t have asked for anything more!”

Roger grew up in Hampshire and now lives in Tunbridge Wells with his wife (an OS) and two children who are both at Sevenoaks, one moving into Lower Sixth and the other into Year 10. Roger works as an international trade lawyer in London and enjoys travel and tennis. He has only relatively recently rediscovered running, and managed the Tunbridge Wells half-marathon in 2025 – albeit with plenty of room for improvement. He’s looking forward to a flatter course in London.

“Sevenoaks is a fantastic school which offers incredible opportunities for its students.   Building the funds to be able to offer generous bursary provision is an essential step in ensuring that it is accessible to those from a wide range of backgrounds, which will in turn benefit the whole school community. I’m so pleased to be running in support of the Foundation”.

Rafaela believes that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Having grown up in Brazil, where access to an education like the one Sevenoaks offers is the rarest of privileges, she knows firsthand what it means to stand on the outside of doors that should be open to more children.

Rafaela and her husband Gustavo moved from São Paulo to the UK in January 2025 with their three children. Though Rafaela and Gustavo lived in Boston and New York earlier in their lives, this is the family’s first international move with the children and they have embraced their new British chapter wholeheartedly. Their daughter Olivia will be joining Sevenoaks School in Year 9 in 2028, and the whole family is thrilled to become part of the community.

Rafaela spent several years working in health in Brazil before becoming a partner at a training company. She has always found in running a way to challenge herself and connect with what matters most. A seasoned marathon runner with eight marathons under her belt, she most recently crossed the finish line of the 2026 TCS London Marathon, raising funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK in honor of her mother.

“Running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for the Sevenoaks School Foundation feels like the natural next step: giving back to a school and a country she is deeply grateful to now call home”.

Elaina is a mother of three girls, with a daughter in year 8 at Sevenoaks, and an investment manager at the Wellcome Trust, the UK’s largest charitable foundation.

As both the wife of the headmaster and a current parent, she sees the incredible power of a Sevenoaks education, and strongly believes that this should not be restricted to those children whose parents have the means to afford it.

Elaina was a keen runner before having their children, and has been excited to have the chance to take up the challenge of running a half marathon for a cause that she and her family feel strongly about.

“The reason that Jesse and I were so excited by the Sevenoaks role was the philanthropic and service ethos to the school, and its ambitions to dramatically broaden access to education. These things do not happen overnight, but require hard work and support from the wider Sevenoaks community. Education is such a wonderful gift to give!

I ran the London marathon for the Institute of Cancer Research in 2011 but my running ambitions have been limited to a loop in Knole Park since then, so it is great to have a challenge to aim for! On the rare occasions when Jesse and I can spend time the two of us, one of our favourite things to do is go for a run together – I’m excited to do Royal Parks with him and team Sevenoaks for such an important cause.”

Juby and Nick are parents of four children who have, and are currently, benefitting hugely from attending Sevenoaks. The fourth is just starting in Year 7 in September. They have felt thoroughly supported and valued as a family, especially during a tricky time recently where Sevenoaks went above and beyond.

“I wanted to show appreciation and give something back for others who will follow and need the same support.”