History-making race for RSSH at ESAA Cross Country Cup

On the weekend before the final week of term, the RSSH took three teams down to Newquay in Cornwall to compete in the national final of the ESAA Cross-Country Cup.

This was the first time in the cup’s 40-year history that the event had been opened up to U18 pupils, and we took full advantage of this, being able to take both a Senior Boys and a Senior Girls team – the first RSSH girls’ team to qualify for a national final in the School’s history – as well as the U15 boys, who regularly qualify for this event.

After a long journey down the day before, we had an early night in a hotel nearby, and then got to the venue in plenty of time to walk the course and get prepared. All races would complete variations on roughly the same laps around playing fields, though there were some tricky inclines and tight bends to negotiate. Furthermore, with a strong wind coming off the coast and intermittent showers, some areas of the course felt very exposed to the elements.

First up would be the Senior Girls, a team somewhat depleted by various illnesses as well as clashes with other fixtures and events, but the five girls selected were determined to give their best. After a frenetic start, Sophia U (EDH, LVI) quickly settled into a good rhythm and held her position well somewhere around the top third of the pack. Hattie Attwood (G, V) was also running well having worked desperately hard to be ready for this race after a tricky injury the previous month, and the team was further supported by Ellie L- L (MSH, V), Anna B (EDH, LVI) and Gabriela T (G, LVI). As the race reached its final lap, Sophia still looked strong and she was able to pick up a couple of positions towards the end to finish a wonderful 52^nd. Hattie and Ellie finished very close to each other in 89^th and 90^th, while Anna B finished 106^th and Gabriela 118^th. This was enough to earn the girls a team place of 21^st overall, which given that over 500 schools enter the event in its earliest stages, is some achievement!

Next to race was the U15 boys, who certainly had the toughest race of all on the day as a hailstorm struck about halfway through. Harry P-M (I, IV) set out very strongly in the top pack of about 15 runners, with Jack K (PH, IV) sticking as close to him as he could. Third Formers Will R (O) and Johnnie T (Ch) were a little further back but still in the top third of runners, with Dom W (Rb, IV) and Alex M (Rb, III) in the thick of the main pack. As the weather worsened, Harry and Jack both tightened up a bit and lost places, but they recovered in the last lap and made back some of the lost ground. Meanwhile, both Will and Johnnie were themselves picking up positions and finished very strongly. Harry ended up in 20^th, which on the national stage is remarkable, though such are the standards he sets himself, he was a little disappointed not to be closer to the top ten. Jack finished next in 28^th, only a second ahead of Will in 29^th. Johnnie placed 51^st, with Dom our next finisher in 68^th, while Alex struggled in the wind but still managed to hold on well to place 132^nd. Our team score of 128 was enough for fifth place (and only 12 points behind third), which represents our best team performance in this event since 2012.

Last up were the Senior Boys, completing a gruelling 5.1km over a course that had been significantly churned up by the several hundred runners already to have finished their races. The quality on display at the top end here was staggering, and it perhaps took our front pair of Harrison C (R, UVI) and Kristian T (I, LVI) a little off guard as they settled into a sizeable pack of runners who had formed some way back from the leading ten or so. Jonny P (I, UVI) was also running well in the top half, while strong support was being offered by the 5^th form trio of Brad K (R), Tim S (I) and Massimo W (PH). In the final bend, Harrison put in a huge burst and picked up a number of places to take 28^th overall, with Kristian just a few seconds behind in 34^th. Jonny placed 55^th, and Brad 73^rd, with Tim just four seconds back in 77^th. Massimo W completed our team in 137^th. Our overall score of 190 was enough for 9^th place overall, which is a very fine performance, especially considering that one of our fastest runners in Will S was unavailable.

Overall, it was an extremely successful outing for the Hunt, and we had a very happy coachload of runners making the long trip back up the M5 that evening. Huge congratulations to everyone who raced, and particularly to the girls, who made a bit of history for our club that day.

Ian Haworth

Master i/c RSSH