The fourth race in the Advisa Group Cross Country Series was held at Queen’s Valley on a mild Winter’s day. The seven to eight year olds ran an out and back course with the runners turning by the set of triangular flags with a distance of just over 1 kilometre. The nine to ten age groups ran a clockwise loop, continuing past the triangular flag before turning right over the bridge and returning back on the far side of the reservoir. This distance was about 1.6 kilometres. The eleven and older age group ran two laps of this loop. The extremely undulating course made the race a nice challenge.
In the 7/8 age group the boys and girls races were run separately due to the turn at the far end of the course, The boys race was the first underway with the runners close together as this was the largest race of the day.. In the melee Feddie Lucas, who is normally a top three finisher, was unlucky enough to fall and by the time he recovered the runners and gone some distance, Approaching the turn, three boys were closely packed and over the tortuous return Corey Heath managed to hold on from Scott Le Moucheux with Adam Kennedy dropping back for third place. The second race, the girls 7/8 age group, again saw an exciting finish with two girls approaching the line in a neck and neck race. There was noting to distinguish the two girls as Elizabeth Atkinson was given the verdict over Eva Scott with both runners recording the same time. Hanna Worth finished twenty five seconds down in third place.
The third race comprising one loop of the course was run with boys and girls running together. In the boy’s race Jakob Stanton had established a large lead as they crossed the bridge but some ten seconds behind Harvey Buller and Sam Nisbett were running side by side. Jakob went on to win the race with Sam gaining the advantage up the large climb to the finish beating Harvey by six seconds. At the halfway stage in the girl’s race there were three girls running together as they crossed the bridge. Lucy Hunt got the better of Kirsty Ludlam who just fished ahead of Lily Scott in third place,
The final race of the day saw the eleven and older age group completing two laps of the course. In the 11/12 age group William Atkinson followed in his sister’s foot steps in winning the boy’s race from Peter Holmes and Ben Le Gallais. In the girl’s race Adele Maher had a convincing win from Cleo Leather and Aimee Hugh. Another sister brother winning combination saw Sam Maher win the 13/14 boy’s race from William Brown and Ollie Turner whilst in the girl’s race Yasmine Lookess won from Isobel Atkinson and Natasha Polak.
After the race Advisa Group medals were given to the first three home in each age group and lucky race numbers were drawn for four pairs of cinema ticket spot prizes.
