by Jenny Hobbiss

Anyone else get the feeling it’s suddenly ‘endurance season’?

Everywhere we look, Durham students are pushing their bodies and minds to the limit; whether it’s slogging it out in the Paris and London marathons recently, comparing hellishly long pre-exam cramming sessions at the moment or imagining the prestige of making the ‘Survivors photo’ after Summer balls next month.

These, however, all look rather meagre attempts when compared to what Durham
Netball Club is embarking next month.

After a punishing season in the BUCS Northern Premier Leagues, DUNC are not willing to hang up their training just yet. In fact they hope to end this year’s netball with a bang- and a World Record.

The club is planning to smash the Guinness World Record by playing netball continuously for 72 hours starting on the 5th June.

Yes that’s right, 3 whole days of playing (enough to make a marathon runner weep?).

The attempt is the brain child of fundraising secretary Maxime Rowson who saw the previous record of 62 hours on the Guinness website and decided to apply on behalf of the club.

The request was accepted and the date is now fast approaching.

This is no whimsical idea however, the girls want to hold a seriously hard record to beat. “We’re aiming for 72 hours,” says Rowson “because the record has already been broken once in the last few months so we wanted to make sure nobody would beat us too soon after we broke it”.

As well as writing themselves into the record books, the event will also be raising money for three charities: Help for Heroes, Sport in Action Zamia and DUNC itself in a 50/25/25% split.

Playing rotas are currently being drawn up but Rowson is under no illusions that the feat is going to require a huge amount of flexibility when the first whistle blows.

“It will be tricky as some people will not last as long as others or may get injured”; especially true when the game stretches into its final day and hours.

Spectator support will be invaluable to keep the team going and will no doubt be an experience for every fan. “We really want as many spectators as possible so there’s a great atmosphere. There’ll be loads of stuff going on and we’re hoping to secure local bands or a DJ to come down for some of the nights to get us through.”

Live music, epic proportions of netball and watching history being written? Maiden Castle at the start of June seems almost irresistible.

However spectators beware; events like this can be contagious.

Maybe you’ll be inspired to enter in the ever expanding phenomenon of the ‘endurance season’.