Members of University College swapped the business suits and academic gowns for Lycra shorts, to take part in a six-hour Cyclathon to raise funds in support of The Oxford University Sport and Community Partnership. The aim of the partnership is to make the University sports facilities more available to the local community and to deliver inspiring sports programmes to state schools across the County. They aim to create opportunities for children with limited access to sports facilities.

Organised by Beard Construction, the Cyclathon took place on 2 October 2025 at the Acer Nethercott Sports Hall at the Iffley Road Sports Centre in Oxford. Teams competed to see how far they could cycle within the time. Univ were the only Oxford college represented this year.

Emma Lowles, Events Officer, organised the Univ team, which included four Univ students Amber, Arthur, Lauren, and Robert alongside Grace Lane, Philanthropy Manager, Professor Tamsin Mather, Supernumerary Fellow in Earth Sciences (who took us over the 100 miles mark), David Land, Univ’s new Finance and Investment Bursar, Professor Trevor Sharp, Tutorial Fellow in Neuroscience, Louise Watson, the Master’s Executive Assistant.

Univ came a respectable 14th out of 31 teams taking part and cycled a total of 129.7miles throughout the day.

You can donate here via GoFundMe. All funds raised will be matched by Beard Construction.

The Cyclathon took place in the Sports Hall named in memory of Univ Old Member Dr Acer Nethercott (1996, Philosophy, Physics), who won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Published: 7 October 2025

Explore Univ on social media