Secondary pupils in honours at challenge

In the two top secondary year groups’ race, Molly Smithers from Chichester High School had four seconds to spare over Holly Cunningham from Oaklands in the Year 9 race, crossing the line in 7.18.

It was in the Year 10 race where the coveted seven-minute barrier was broken by Laila Hellyer from Chichester Free School in 6.55. Next home was home-schooled Emily Carman just 10 seconds adrift in 7.05 with Lillie Hellyer third in 7.09.

The leading team positions are held by three different schools with Bishop Luffa leading Year 7, Churchers Years 8 and the Free School leading the combined Years 9 and 10 category.

For the boys the top two in Year 7 swapped places from the opening rac with Toby Baker from The Petersfield School just getting the better of Churchers; Luca di Giovanni in a spedy 6.58.

Max Gayle was first local runner home in 5th and led his Bishop Luffa team to a win over Midhurst Rother in second.

Record breaker from race one Ben Stewart was again too good for the rest in the Year 8 race but had to be content with a time of 6.41 in the conditions, 10 seconds slower than two weeks previously.

Oakley Knipe from Cams Hill and Harry Dunne from Bohunt occupied the next two places although it was good packing from Chichester Free school which gave them a minute margin over St Philip Howard with one race to go.

The stand-out competitor in the Year 9 race was again Oscar Reynolds from Brookfield with a clear minute over his nearest challenger in the four-lap race while things were much closer in Year 10 with Ben Ward from Ditcham getting the better of Bishop Luffa duo Monty Hill and Noah Collins, which helped to give Luffa the edge in the team race from close challengers Midhurst Rother and Chichester High School.

The evening started with the popular primary schools races.

The final races of the series take place this evening (March 29) with plenty of prizes up for grabs. Spectators are welcome in North Street and around the course to watch. Send your West Sussex sport stories and pictures to sport.sussex@jpimedia.co.uk for publication in our papers and on our websites

Keep abreast of the local sport action and breaking news on our website - at sussexworld.co.uk

Published by National World South Limited. Registered in England and Wales no.11573583. No 1 Leeds, 4th Floor, 26 Whitehall Road, Leeds, England, LS12 1BE. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Printed at Associated Print Holdings Ltd (Dinnington).*