Picture: Mathura Kathirgamanathan, President of RUMS Boat Club, has been selected to run the London Marathon on behalf of UCL Student Union’s Participation Fund.
Author: Altay Shaw
Ahead of the London Marathon, Kinesis got a chance to speak with Mathura Kathirgamanathan, who has been chosen to run the event on behalf of UCL Student Union, aiming to raise money to support the Student Participation Fund, a source of funding which ensures students, regardless of their financial situation, are able to engage with extra curricular events and activities whilst they study at UCL.
What does it mean for you to be representing UCL at the London Marathon?
It is a super cool and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I’ve always dreamed of running the London Marathon, but with ballot places becoming increasingly competitive and charity places heavily oversubscribed, it’s incredibly difficult to secure an entry. While there are many fantastic charities involved, I didn’t want to take a charity place simply for the sake of running the marathon. Instead, I wanted to represent something I genuinely believe in and have personally benefited from, and that’s the Students’ Union Participation Fund.
Being able to take part in such an iconic event while representing UCL and a fund that has played a meaningful role in my university experience is very exciting!
Have you or anyone without a society you have been a part of ever had to use the participation fund? If so, what benefits did it bring them or the society you were a part of?
I have had to use the participation fund in order to fund the society that I love and have been a part of for the last five years. As President of RUMS Boat Club, I know first-hand how expensive the sport of rowing can get, and even though our club prides itself on being one of the cheapest rowing memberships on the Thames, and even in the country, we still recognise the money involved in taking part in such a fun sport – e.g., through kit, race fees, and training through a gym membership and more.
As a result, I myself have had to use the participation fund to fund race fees and memberships in order to participate in the sport. And I have not regretted it! It has given me the chance to row and cox amongst Olympians and world champions, but also to meet a huge network of rowers across the country, as well as some of my best friends through RUMS Boat Club. As a result of this network, I was also able to row and cox with other clubs on the Thames, and this year, this enabled me to qualify at Henley, which was something I never thought I could have got to in a lifetime, let alone during university! So, in short, if you had to ask me the benefits of the Students’ Union Participation Fund, I would say – endless!
You mention concerns you had at the start of your degree when it came to finances. Do you feel, in light of a better financial situation, sports societies should be aiming to offer more taster events? Or should memberships be lower with the view that financial barriers bar students from being able to engage in sport and even represent UCL?
This is a difficult balance. As a society leader myself, I would love for memberships to be cheaper – or even free – but the reality is that this isn’t always feasible. Sports clubs face significant costs, including equipment maintenance, coaching fees, and race entry fees. Many clubs operate on extremely tight budgets, often just breaking even or even running at a loss, with the financial burden ultimately falling on students.
That said, taster sessions are a really effective way of reducing barriers to entry. They allow students to try a sport, meet the people involved, and understand the commitment without immediately paying for a membership they may not end up using. I think it’s essential that societies offer taster periods at the start of the academic year at a minimum, and it’s encouraging to see more clubs also promoting tasters at the beginning of Term 2 for students who haven’t yet found the right fit.
The Students’ Union plays an important role here, not just through the Participation Fund, but also by helping to subsidise club costs, promote tasters, and support club leaders in making societies more accessible and inclusive.
As a fellow medic, the society part of life is generally overlooked by UCLMS. Do you feel this is a good chance to showcase life outside of the grind of medicine? With societies that are tied to departments like RUMS, should departments be doing more to support students, i.e., providing more funding or working to ensure students who will represent UCL at events can attend fixtures?
I think this is a really important opportunity to highlight that there is life outside of medicine. Medical degrees are incredibly demanding, with high attendance requirements across lectures and placements, often running from 9 AM to 5 PM (or earlier or later). This leaves very little flexibility, particularly when society activities start in the early evening and students are travelling back from placements that may finish at the same time.
One of the reasons I’ve loved being involved in RUMS societies is that they are inclusive of all students, not just medics, while still being understanding of the unique pressures and schedules that come with a medical degree. That flexibility – acknowledging early starts, late finishes, and intense academic blocks – makes a huge difference in sustaining engagement.
However, I do think departments could do more to actively encourage and support extracurricular involvement. The current culture of constant attendance and academic pressure can take a real toll on medical students. It’s very common to see students withdraw from societies during exam periods or before assessments due to perceived pressure from faculties, only to return weeks later. This cycle isn’t healthy and can undermine the benefits that sport and societies provide for wellbeing.
As a result, I think there should be departmental grants or funds specifically to help with extracurricular activity. At the moment, there is a RUMS Alumni award for such, but there should be more on offer across all departments in UCL. By backing students through departmental support, rather than relying solely on the Students’ Union, departments can help ensure students feel encouraged, not penalised, for engaging in activities that enrich their university experience and allow them to represent UCL.
Are you receiving support from the Student Union when it comes to preparing for the marathon?
Yes! I’ve received a huge amount of support from the Students’ Union throughout this process. They’ve been incredibly helpful with my preparation and are supporting me both practically and logistically. This includes a free TeamUCL gym membership, which has been invaluable for both my rowing and marathon training, as well as access to physiotherapy support if needed. They’ve also helped with fundraising guidance alongside my training.
I’m extremely grateful for their support, as it makes taking on a challenge of this scale feel far more manageable.
With a view to the fact that multiple aspects of student life are getting more expensive, do you feel the SU is doing enough, or are there areas that they should be putting more effort into?
I believe the Students’ Union is doing a huge amount to support students during a time when many aspects of student life are becoming increasingly expensive, particularly in London. Through initiatives such as the Participation Fund, club subsidies, and advice services, the SU plays a vital role in reducing financial barriers to extracurricular involvement and supporting students to navigate the cost of living.
That said, there is always room to build on this work. Increasing awareness and accessibility of existing support, expanding eligibility to cover hidden costs such as travel or equipment, and offering more preventative support – like financial guidance earlier in students’ degrees – could make an even greater difference. Perhaps collating a list of external grants that students can apply to or support with writing applications for particular bursaries or grants could be something that could be helpful!
Ultimately, ensuring that sport, societies, and wider student life remain accessible is crucial for student wellbeing, inclusion, and engagement, and the SU’s continued investment in this area is more important than ever.
If you would like to support Mathura, you can find out more via the TCS website, https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/mathura-k
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