Edinburgh student Archie completes underwear fun run
University has always been as much about life-enhancing experiences as obtaining a qualification but for Edinburgh’s Archie Simpson and Ollie Owen from Hitchin completing a 5K run in the centre of Leeds wearing just their underpants was in all likelihood the last thing they’d expected to be doing.
“It was the largest underwear fun run in Europe and took place on a moderately chilly Yorkshire Sunday afternoon just before Christmas,” explained University of Leeds computer science student Archie, 21, who attended Fettes College and grew up in Morningside. “The undies were supplied by The Oddballs Foundation as part of the city’s second Wilder Student Fight Night the following week and for which Ollie and I were the MCs. Over 300 did the run and there were then twelve bouts with 14 men and 10 women boxing. All were novice boxers who’d enjoyed or perhaps suffered six weeks of intensive, gruelling training at Sharky’s Leeds gym.”
“Ollie and I are volunteer ambassadors for the foundation. This involves various initiatives such as going into schools to deliver assemblies and workshops to raise awareness of testicular cancer which is the most common cancer in younger men. It’s important for boys even in their late teens to know about it and be regularly checking themselves. Girls also need to be aware and can help. We aim to do it in such a way that any potential stigma is hopefully removed. It’s quite a commitment as Yorkshire is England’s biggest county and we’ve travelled all over it from Pocklington to Rotherham. It’s rewarding work.”
“Fight night was amazing,” added Ollie, 23, who studies microbiology at the University of Leeds. “It was impressive to see novice fighters looking to apply skills and techniques they’d recently learnt. Some did very well as they landed hard shots to the body and head and in some cases used powerful combinations of punches. The atmosphere at the venue was exciting and exhilarating.”
“We began our fundraising fight nights in Durham in 2021,” explained ‘Wilder’ Sal Sinawi, 37, “and in 2025 we staged two events in Leeds which were both efficiently organised by students themselves. Ollie and Archie did a first-class job and we’re proud that the Leeds events raised £24 thousand for The Oddballs Foundation.”
“Registration is now open for the third Leeds Wilder fight night,” continued Archie. “It remains to be seen whether Ollie and I will sign up.”