413:, occurs during the summer long vacation when undergraduates who have summer courses gather all around Great Court just before two o'clock dressed in their academic robes. Great Court is divided into six rectangular lawns and the objective of the race is to circumnavigate all six individually and in all their combinations, which requires a mathematical brain to plan well, and end at the fountain. The entry fee is a pint of beer. As soon as the clock starts to strike everyone starts running around whatever route they have chosen, much to the consternation of the tourists. On reaching the fountain everyone gets a prize of a pint of beer. It has been done in 14 minutes but that is exceptional.
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more slowly than on a warm, humid low-pressure day. This can cause variation of as much as 5 seconds to the normal time of around 48 seconds. The official run takes place in
October, when the likely variation is a more modest one second. Runners will have the best chance of completing the circuit before the bells have finished on a cold winter's day. The chime speed is also affected by the number of days since the chimes were last wound, three being optimal.
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David Cecil, the only man to achieve the Great Court Run prior to 2007, and
Sebastian Coe, the man who came closest to achieving the feat between Cecil's and Dobin's successes, both achieved the distinctions of Olympic Champion, Member of both Houses of Parliament, and Chairman of the London Olympics
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However, the route taken by competitors around the court has changed over the years, thus making the accomplishment much more attainable. The current route—running on the cobbles rather than the path—cuts the distance down to 297m (the perimeter of the grass) as opposed to 339m (the perimeter of the
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to have been 45.52 seconds, but it was actually 46.0 seconds as confirmed by the video tape, while Cram's was 46.3 seconds. The clock on that day took 44.4 seconds and video confirms that Coe was approximately 12 metres short of his finish line when the fateful final stroke occurred. There is some
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uses air resistance to govern the speed at which the striking mechanism turns and consequently the speed varies, depending mainly on the air density; the duration to the striking of twelve depends on the meteorological conditions on the race day. On a cold, dry, high-pressure day the bells strike
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cobbles). This is about 19% shorter, reducing the pace required from
Olympic to a level manageable by hundreds of good club athletes across the country, and enables the four sharp corners to be "rounded off" so that runners do not need to slow down appreciably when taking the corners.
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Gateway), and the entrance to the oldest part of the college, the remaining surviving buildings of King's Hall. Originally built on the site of the current sundial in the middle of the court, Nevile moved it 20 metres north when completing the court. King's Gate also houses the famous
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In 2007, Sam Dobin was seen to 'beat' the clock in a time of 42.77s, improving on his 3rd-place finish the previous year. Dobin's achievement received national newspaper coverage which reported it as the fastest time in the history of the race, beating
Burghley and Coe's efforts.
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in 1975 — one of only two instruments by this respected maker in Great
Britain. It is contained within the restored late seventeenth-century case built by perhaps England's most famous organ builder
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As of 2017, competitors taking part in the "serious" run (a "fun" run is held simultaneously) have been barred from running on the cobbles under penalty of disqualification. Recent winners:
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Many have tried to run the 339 metres (371 yards) around the court in the time it takes to strike 12 o'clock (actually 24 chimes owing to an old tradition). The run was recreated, filmed in
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debate over the dying sounds of the bell being included in the striking time, which would allow Coe's run to be claimed as successful. The event was organized by 36-year-old undergraduate
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which enclose an area of approximately 1.8 acres (7,300 square metres). (The figures given in parentheses are the distances run on the flagstones for the Great Court Run)
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126:, whose sceptre was replaced by a chair leg by students in the 19th century. Next comes the East Range, and staircases F-K (with J omitted) that contain the college
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and rooms principally housing fellows of the college. Staircase I leads to Angel Court, containing rooms for students and fellows, and to the college bar.
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In 2019, George Mears beat the clock, although as he acknowledged "the clock was slow this year" meaning his time of 48.12 was sufficient.
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In the centre of the court is an ornate fountain, built during Nevile's time, and fed by a pipe from
Conduit Head in west Cambridge.
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had his rooms, and moving clockwise, one first reaches the
Porters' Lodge and Great Gate, begun in 1490 as the entrance to
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Other factors affect the timing of the Great Court Run. The speed at which the bells strike is governed by a mechanical
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in the 17th century, striking each hour once for the college of his mastership, Trinity, and once for his alma mater,
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Great Court, with (from left to right) its dining hall, Master's Lodge, fountain, clock tower, chapel and Great Gate.
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that chimes every 15 minutes and strikes the hour twice. The clock was installed at the request of Master of
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The South Range runs from staircases L–Q with rooms for students and fellows, with Queen's Gate (named after
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From 2012 to 2014, Cornelius Roemer won the run three times in a row, and beat the clock in his 2014 run.
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in 1554 in memory of her father. The ante-chapel contains statues of many famous
Trinity men, including
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Trinity's Great Court looking north, showing the King's Gate, Chapel, Fountain and the Great Gate.
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Organising
Committee (David Cecil at the 1948 Olympics, Sebastian Coe at the 2012 Olympics).
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View showing in red the path of the Great Court Run and in blue the shortcuts on the cobbles
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The 2009 event was cancelled due to poor weather leaving the court unsafe to run on.
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The fourth side begins with staircases A–C, before reaching King's Gate (also called
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attempted the feat in a charity race on 29 October 1988. Coe's time was reported by
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Students traditionally attempt to complete the circuit, in what is known as the
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Trinity College Choir singing from the towers of Great Court on 9 June 2013.
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The exact external dimensions of the four sides of Great Court are:
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Trinity's main entrance, the Great Gate, leading to the Great Court.
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and completed in 1535. The Great Gate holds the famous statue of
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Best Day Trips from London: 25 Great Escapes by Train, Bus Or Car
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The final part of the court is completed by the chapel, begun by
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2014: Cornelius Roemer (beat the clock on the cobbles route)
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Starting in the northeast corner at E staircase, in which
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700:"George Mears beats the clock in the Great Court Run"
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2007: Sam Dobin (beat the clock on the cobbles route)
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View from the Great Gate of the fountain, hall and a
137:Cambridge University, Great Court, Trinity College
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638:"Student breaks "Chariots of Fire" record"
292:Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children
230:Learn how and when to remove this message
51:, and reputed to be the largest enclosed
349:Cancelled due to poor weather conditions
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686:"Great Court Run Reverts to Tradition"
263:in 1927. Contrary to the depiction in
246:rather than Trinity, in the 1981 film
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575:Trinity College: An Historical Sketch
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542:Stephen Brewer, Donald Olson (2006).
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1146:Sport at the University of Cambridge
394:The Trinity Clock Monitoring Project
212:adding citations to reliable sources
755:, Achilles Club Annual Report, 2001
392:, details of which are recorded by
374:2019: George Mears (beat the clock)
1136:Parks and open spaces in Cambridge
745:Trinity Great Court Run: The Facts
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935:First and Third Trinity Boat Club
706:. 19 October 2019. Archived from
636:Yeebo, Yepoka (27 October 2007).
423:Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge
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795:Problems playing this file? See
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199:needs additional citations for
776:Trinity Great Court noon chime
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728:. 10 May 2024. Archived from
688:. Trinity College, Cambridge.
622:. Trinity College, Cambridge.
409:A less structured event, the
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892:Professor Dame Sally Davies
811:Panorama of the Great Court
466:The chapel contains a fine
290:and raised £50,000 for the
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853:Trinity College, Cambridge
726:Trinity College, Cambridge
704:Trinity College, Cambridge
431:Clock tower in Great Court
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332:2003: Calum T.M. Nicholson
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546:. Frommer's. p. 56.
271:never attempted the Run.
461:St Michael and the Devil
577:. The University Press.
368:2015: Jiri Kucera (CZE)
356:2011: Steven Karp (CAN)
1022:Cambridge Science Park
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593:Trinity College London
497:West — 105.2m (99.9m)
455:and the altarpiece is
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371:2016: Patrick Bradbury
362:2013: Cornelius Roemer
359:2012: Cornelius Roemer
329:2002: Huw Watson (AUS)
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503:East — 99.4m (88.9m)
500:North — 78.3m (69.4m)
494:South — 87.8m (82.5m)
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163:Trinity College Clock
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102:atop the dining hall.
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1102:52.20694°N 0.11694°E
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950:Mathematical Society
915:Trinity College arms
867:Trinity College arms
742:Christopher Thorne,
208:improve this article
1098: /
710:on 30 October 2019.
589:"The College Clock"
353:2010: Henry Husband
323:2000: Adrian Hemery
180:The Great Court Run
18:The Great Court Run
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620:"Great Court Run"
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1012:King's Hall
986:Great Court
411:Caucus Race
405:Caucus Race
120:King's Hall
70:Description
41:Great Court
1141:Courtyards
1120:Categories
1090:52°12′25″N
1054:Categories
880:Henry VIII
797:media help
529:References
486:Dimensions
279:Steve Cram
220:April 2008
158:Edward III
124:Henry VIII
88:fairy ring
1093:0°07′01″E
642:The Times
441:Roubiliac
53:courtyard
939:May Ball
749:Archived
670:9 August
644:. London
599:26 March
573:(1943).
474:firm of
1073:Masters
1068:Fellows
1008:Related
876:Founder
476:Metzler
128:bursary
100:lantern
1063:Alumni
976:Chapel
966:Bridge
962:Campus
887:Master
648:26 May
595:. 2021
550:
437:Mary I
417:Chapel
396:. The
347:2009:
57:Europe
981:Clock
930:Choir
472:Swiss
468:organ
45:court
672:2024
650:2010
601:2021
548:ISBN
277:and
459:'s
398:fly
390:fly
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55:in
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