Hundreds of Dunedin pupils felt the need for speed as they raced each other at the annual O’Mathalon.
About 850 year 6 pupils took part in this year’s Otago Maths Association O’Mathalon at the Edgar Centre yesterday.
Event organiser Daniel Kelly said there was a "whole lot of madness going on".
The pupils had to solve 30 maths equations in 30 minutes and deliver their answers to markers scattered around the netball court at the indoor sports facility.
![The 2024 year 6 O’Mathalon winners George Street Normal pupils (from left) Alex Lai, 11, Kaitlyn...](https://www.odt.co.nz/sites/default/files/styles/odt_landscape_extra_large_4_3/public/story/2024/08/mathalon_6_220824.jpg?itok=ZlxgLKeE)
"It’s the combination of the mental exertion, also working in a team rather than it being an isolated thing and also the physical exertion of running around."
The pupils received two points for every equation they got right and lost one point for every equation they got wrong.
The George Street Normal School team consisting of mathletes Meila King, Alex Lai, Melody Li and Kaitlyn Hsu won the year 6 round of the competition.
Meila said she was feeling the pressure, especially coming off of a second place finish at last year’s O’Mathalon.
The team won a calculator each.
The competition hosted 6 rounds for years 5 to 10 and lasted from noon to 9pm yesterday.