Youngest runners set tone for great evening of action
The evening started as usual with the primary school girls and boys running over four races and numbering more than 300.
The top three in the Year 6 boys were the same as in race one with the race following a similar pattern. Isaac Glanfield from Downview set off again at a record-breaking pace and, although slowing slightly on the second lap, he had enough to spare over Sam Cato from Seal and Logan Cookson from Lyndhurst.
In the Year 5 race Stanley Wilkes from Jessie Younghusband was again dominant to record 4min 53sec for the 1.4k course, a time bettered only by the winner of the Year 6 race in 4.46. William Brown from Walberton & Binstead was again runner-up with James Fox from Oakwood third.
Team-wise things could not be closer with Downview leading Bishop Tufnell and Parklands, the three separated by a mere nine seconds but with six teams breathing down their necks.
There was again a very high standard in the Year 6 girls’ race with four runners inside five minutes, one of the few times this has happened in 20-plus years of the event.
Florence East from Lyndhurst repeated her win from the first race with Laila Hellyer from Bishop Tufnell just beating the challenge of Kitty Bryden from Newbridge and twin sister Lillie.
Poppy Taylor from Overton was again a convincing winner of the Year 5 race, 12 seconds in front of Grace Howarth from Great Ballard, with Molly Smithers from Walberton & Binstead a further second adrift.
Another dominant display meant Bishop Tufnell won the team race by nearly a minute from Jessie Younghusband with Bosham a minute behind in third.