500+ young runners blaze a trail

There were 221 secondary school runners - an increase of exactly 60 from last year - representing 14 schools at Bexhill Down.

The top three boys and girls in each race were awarded medals, and the team results were calculated by taking the first four runners in a team.

Results: year 7 boys 1st St Richard’s Catholic College, 2nd St Leonards Academy, 3rd Hastings Academy; year 8 boys 1st ARK William Parker Academy, 2nd St Richard’s Catholic College, 3rd St Leonards Academy; year 9 boys 1st St Richard’s Catholic College, joint 2nd Claremont School and Buckswood School; year 10/11 boys 1st St Richard’s Catholic College, 2nd Robertsbridge Community College, 3rd St Leonards Academy; year 7 girls 1st Robertsbridge Community College, 2nd St Richard’s Catholic College, 3rd Battle Abbey; year 8 girls 1st St Richard’s Catholic College, 2nd Claverham Community College, 3rd Robertsbridge Community College; year 9 girls 1st Claremont School, joint 2nd Helenswood Academy and St Richard’s Catholic College; year 10/11 girls 1st Claverham Community College, 2nd St Richard’s Catholic College.

The primary schools then followed with a fantastic turnout of 357 runners from 37 schools contesting the year 3/4 and year 5/6 races. All of them had qualified from their cluster schools’ races.

Again the top three boys and girls were awarded medals, and the leading 15 runners from the year 5/6 race will go on to the Sussex School Games final next March. Thanks go to Hastings Athletic Club for setting up the course and marshaling.

See tomorrow’s Observers for more pictures.