- Education Minister's Running Challenge winners announced
- Almost 4,000 participants from 306 schools in the fourth year of the event
- Challenge promotes positive physical health and mental wellbeing
Almost 4,000 students, teachers, and education staff have finished the 2026 Education Minister's Running Challenge, logging a huge 1.8 million minutes of running, walking, wheeling, cycling, and scootering.
Education Minister Sabine Winton congratulated students and staff at a presentation event on Monday, wrapping up over nine weeks of activities from 306 schools.
Now in its fourth year, the challenge includes running, walking, and wheelchair activities, with a new category added in 2025 recognising cycling and manual scooters.
It aims to inspire students to stay active, experience the benefits of physical activity, and support their overall health and learning.
Primary students aimed for at least 200 minutes of physical activity, with secondary students and staff aiming for at least 300 minutes.
This year's category winners included:
- Overall primary student: Riley Martin, Oberthur Primary School;
- Overall secondary student: Lilly Tysoe, Piara Waters Senior High School;
- Primary cycle/scoot: Dharshini Baskar Kalpana, Riva Primary School;
- Secondary cycle/scoot: Varshini Janarthanam, Kelmscott Senior High School;
- Primary wheelchair: Minnie Koleva, Geographe Education Support Centre;
- Secondary wheelchair: Hannah Narkle, College Row School;
- Overall primary school: Winthrop Primary School; and
Joint secondary school winners: Kalamunda Secondary Education Support Centre and Aranmore Catholic College.
Minister Winton announced winners of six individual challenge categories who each received an activity tracker watch, open-ear sports headphones, a sports bag, and a framed certificate.
The overall primary school and secondary school winners were each awarded a $1,000 voucher for school sport equipment, a trophy, and framed certificate, with the top 100 students soon to be announced for induction into the challenge's 100 Club.
This year's challenge was supported by the Perth Running Festival, Corporate Sports Australia, and the Australian Olympic Committee and its Olympics Unleashed program.
As stated by Education Minister Sabine Winton:
"I want to congratulate all the participants and winners of this year's Minister's Running Challenge, which is all about providing students and staff with a fun and engaging way to stay active.
"We know that regular physical activity supports students' learning, brain health, and mental wellbeing - it helps them to feel positive and engage in their learning.
"Whether students chose to run, walk, cycle, scoot, push, or operate a wheelchair, it all contributes to building healthy habits and promoting positive wellbeing.
"Thank you to all the principals, teachers, education assistants, and families who encouraged students every step of the way."
