The Benjy Race: A 200-year-old tradition comes alive in India

In August this year, history was made when a 200-year-old British sporting tradition was celebrated at the Bhopal campus of Shrewsbury International School India. A timeless memory dating back to 1819 was recreated as the school's pupils took part in the inaugural Benjy Race.

The race originated in 1819 at Shrewsbury School, UK with a unique origin story. "The intriguing name of the race is derived from Benjamin Kennedy, the school’s Headmaster in the mid-19th century. He taught Latin and his revered Latin Primer was often dreaded by the pupils. As a result of Kennedy banning the formation of a fox-hunting club, the boys at the school created their own ‘hunting club,’ with the boys as the hounds running their own routes. To set a trail, and to also make a rebellious statement, they tore pages from the primer, laid out over the campus. Over time, this route has turned into a beloved rite of passage for new pupils. When our inaugural batch of pupils raced across a specially designed course beginning from the school’s iconic clocktower, which we refer to as Little Ben, they wholeheartedly relished the challenge, "says Olly Russell, Deputy Headmaster.

The Founding Headmaster, Dominic Tomalin, opened the race with the traditional call of “All Hounds who wish to run, Run Hard, Run Well and May the Devil take the Hindmost.” Followed by the starting hooter, pupils took off to navigate the course and to embrace a sporting event that has been central to Shrewsbury’s identity for nearly two centuries. "The Benjy Race marks the opening chapter of Shrewsbury International School India’s annual sporting calendar. This was not just the first race of the year, but an initiation into a Shrewsbury tradition that values stamina and the spirit of camaraderie, " says Ashutosh Bisht, Director of Sports and Head of Physical Education.

The inaugural Benjy Race crowned its first-ever champions, with Vihaan Mathur leading the boys and Anushree Kalokhe topping the girls. At the heart of this playful ritual are also tenets of discipline and endurance, says Mr Bisht and refers to Shrewsbury's reputation as one of the leading sporting schools in the country, where pupils enjoy a varied programme throughout the year. He adds, "By positioning cross-country running as a recurring fixture, the school encourages pupils to develop a commitment to fitness that extends well beyond the finishing line. Be it Shrewsbury UK's Royal Shrewsbury School Hunt (RSSH), the world’s oldest cross-country club, or Shrewsbury India's top-tier facilities, offering over 20 indoor and outdoor sports, our emphasis has always been on the holistic development of every pupil."

Over the unfolding academic year, pupils will also make the most of the school's indoor sports complex spanning 90,000 square feet, an Olympic-size, temperature-controlled swimming pool, a cricket arena, squash and badminton courts, a shooting range, a rowing facility, and facilities to learn fencing, rowing, scuba diving, gymnastics, football, cricket, tennis, riding and more.

"The race was in a way an initiation into Shrewsbury's Salopian values of mutual respect, valuing tradition, expressing individuality with community spirit and tackling life's challenges with integrity. The memories of this race will live with them long after they leave school. With this race, a proud Salopian tradition has found new ground in India, and we look forward to many generations of pupils following in these footsteps," concludes Olly Russell.