Conditions set up speedy times as series continues
Perfect weather conditions greeted nearly 900 runners for the second evening of this year’s Chichester Corporate Challenge.
That resulted in some fine competitive racing and fast times on the city centre course.
A number of winners from the first evening two weeks earlier were again in action although the senior event produced new winners.
Seniors
With previous winner Will Boutwood not on the start line it was left to Cameron Walker-powell to lead proceedings this time around.
He was joined by ex-portsmouth University student Jonny White, with the pair soon pulling away from the chasing pack.
In the end it was White, an accomplished sub-1.50 800m runner, who showed great strength over the latter part of the race to cross the line in a super quick 13min 9sec to put him up into the all-time top 10.
Walker-powell was clear in second while two of Chichester’s veteran runners were making their mark with Mike Houston, running for Chichster Parkrun, just getting the better of Jo Corbett in times of 13.54 and 14.01 respectively, both in the all-time veterans’ top half dozen.
For the women, opening night winner Florence East was absent, on English Schools duty for Hampshire, as was runner-up Chloe Jones.
This gave an opportunity for the Wothing contingent to shine with Emily Carman leading teammates Laila and Lillie Hellyer to occupy three out of the top four places and giving their Worthing under-17 team a healthy lead over Chichester, for whom senior Charlotte Reading was joined by under-17s Anya Barrett and Ela Pemberton.
With aggregates of 48min 37sec and 50min 48sec respectively, these two teams are well ahead of the rest.
Solent Endurance and Team Purser were equally dominant in the men’s sports standings while DSTL had room to spare in the corporate rankings while Oakwood School Staff came out top women’s team.
Primary school races
Numbers were again high in the four primary races with a new winner in the Year 6 boys’ race with Charlie Carman battling his way to improve on his second place last time.
Finn Smiith of Wicor and Seb Berger of Southbourne filled the minor places.
Nathaniel Jolly from Kingston repeated his win in the Year 5 boys’ race ahead of Frankie Keeler of West Wittereing and Koa Dutton from Jessie Younghusband.
Teamwise things could not be tighter at the top with the top three teams all below a combined 15 minutes for their three runners.
But it was Southbourne who came out on top with 14min 48sec followed by Kingsham at 14.53 and Downview with 14.55.
There were repeat winners in both girls’ races with an impressive show of front running in the Year 6 race from Emmy Pemberton from Oakwood to cross the line in 4min 49sec for the two laps, one of the few girls ever under five minutes and just 13 seconds outside the course record.
That was set in 2012 by Josie Czura, who went on to be English national cross country champion at under-13 and under-15 level.
Behind Pemberton were Jacee Outen of St Paul’s and Matilda Hammond from Aldingbourne.
In the Year 5 race, Amelia Adams was again too fast for the rest and was followed home by Imogen Younghusband from West Dean and Leah Stopps from North Mundham.
In the team standings, Oakwood at 15.55 had more than a minute to spare over Chidham and North Mundham.
Secondary schools races
Once again it was a Hampshire trio who dominated the Year 7 girls’ race with Romilly Baker, Imogen Shaw and Lina Lockrose occupying the top three places with Portsmouth Grammar heading Bishop Luffa and Ormiston in the team standings.
One of the big improvements was seen in the Year 8 race with Isabella Lendrum overturning a 30-second defecit from the previous race to beat previous winner Freya Biggs with Bethany Adams in third.
Evie Bramell from Churchers clocked a fast 6.53 to win the Year 9 race from Amelia Thomas from Ditcham Park and Eloddie Hill from Bishop Luffa, while Molly Smithers from Chichester High School just lost out to Holly Cunningham from Oaklands in the Year 10 race.
In a competitive Year 7 boys’ race, Levi Pearce just got the better of Hugo Johnson with Noah Daniel in third while St Philip Howard lead the team standings from Bishop Luffa and Midhurst Rother.
Bishop Luffa pairing Max Gayle and Joe Stewart were again in fine form in the Year 8 race with Toby Baker from Petersfield splitting the pair.
The Year 9 and 10 race over an extended four-lap course followed a similar pattern to the first evening with another Bishop Luffa pairing of Ben Stewart and Stranley Wilkes just getting the better of Harry Dunne from Bohunt.
Luffa lead the team race in front of Chichester Free School and.st Philip Howard.
The final event takes place next Wednesday – you can enter at a reduced price via the Chi Runners website.
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