Lowndes Park, Chesham: Local Schools’ Cross Country Meet - Saturday 18 November 2017

Eighteen schools participated in the 2nd local schools’ meet of the season with well over 640 individual competitors. Seventy-two children were selected for Gateway with 56 available to run on the day.

As usual, there were 8 separate races, during the morning. The Year 3 and 4 children competed over 1400m and the 5 and 6s over a 1750m course. This is probably the hardest course that the children have to tackle in the local school meets with a steep 200m hill near to the start of the race that proves very challenging, especially if you run up it too fast!. Hundreds of spectators lined the route to cheer on the children.

Medals were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Team positions are calculated by adding the scores of the top three runners from each school with medals being awarded to the first four schools.

Year 3
In what may have been the largest race in local schools cross country history, Kasper B finished strongly in 4th out of 117 runners. Charlie B-M was 24th and Marlon F also ran well finishing in 34th position. The Year 3 girls’ team was rather depleted with only 3 members of the squad competing and completing the course on the day. Ellson S was 34th, Caille W finished 36th and Emilie T-G was 56th in her first race. (80 runners)

Year 4 boys; (87 runners) Zach C made it 5 consecutive wins when he cross the line 5m ahead of his nearest rival after a great sprint finish. Ed S was 8th; Charlie DS improved his position 4 places since last year finishing 11th. These boys were delighted to retain Team Gold!

The Year 4 girls; (80 runners) Katie A stormed to 2nd place with another classy performance with Danica F (14th) and Charlotte G (21st) helping the team to Silver position.

With several of the higher ranked Year 5 squad missing, it was left to Savva N to lead the other Gateway boys home in 27th place. Noah Brewer was 31st and William T and Henry L fought it out for 33rd and 34th positions respectively. (70 runners)
In the girls’ race, Josie R was 16th, Beth T, 18th and Olivia P 22nd all paced themselves sensibly to finish comfortably. These girls were awarded Bronze team medals. Kiki R was 31st in her debut race; a promising start. (80 runners)

In the Year 6 competition, Will SC-B continues to impress, coming 3rd place with George C finishing closely behind in 8th and Will S clinching 18th position. The boys were delighted to be awarded Team Gold! (80 runners)

In the Year 6 girls’ race, Marea L finished 2nd again; losing out to one of the most promising runners in the Chiltern district. Savarnah P was just outside the individual medals in 11th, followed home by Penny D in 13th. This team won Silver medals. Well done to Lucy Q who had been out to 10pm, at a swimming gala the night before, but still turned out in the drizzling conditions to represent the school, for the first time; coming 32nd!

As usual, well done to all the children who gave up their Saturday morning to run for the school and gave a tremendous effort to complete this difficult course.

The next team event will take place at Hervines Park, Amersham, 27 January 2018. Further details will be emailed out nearer the time. HJ