The inter-house Paperchases return after two years

On the last Wednesday of term we were able to host the historic Paperchases, an inter-House cross-country event dating back to the nineteenth century, when trails would be laid down in paper for the ‘hounds’ to follow.

 In modern times, the route has been staged on and around site, but it is a challenging course which takes in hills, mud and even a large stream, which this year was almost up to the top of its banks. It is a race in which, though individual performances are clearly important, the emphasis is very much on the team, with six runners in each team of eight to count. Having had to shelve the event last year due to social distancing guidelines, it was great to be able to stage the race again, albeit in very tricky conditions in which the runners (and marshals!) struggled to keep warm. Despite this, all Houses were able to field two teams in both age categories, which is a phenomenal effort at this stage of the term. 

First up was the U15 event, a 3.5km course which the boys and girls run together. A strong early pace was set in the race by Jack K (PH, IV), ahead of a pursuing pack including Harry P-M (I, IV), Johnnie T (Ch, III) and Dom W (Rb, IV). These four had all raced brilliantly on the previous Saturday at the ESAA XC Cup national final, so may have had slightly heavy legs but you wouldn’t know it from their early pace. This year’s Tucks winner, Sophia C (MSH, IV), was setting the pace again for the girls, and had opened a significant gap ahead of next girl, Amelia B (MSH, III), at halfway. Indeed, by the end of the race this lead had stretched out further, and Sophia was able to win the race by a margin of nearly fifty-seconds, her own time of 15:51 being over thirty seconds faster than the 2019 winner despite these very tough conditions. Amelia came through next to make it a Mary Sidney one-two, ahead of Olivia K (M, IV) in third. In the boys’ race, Jack had stretched out his own lead and came through in 13:41, just one second faster than the 2019 winner. Third Former Johnnie T was second – a wonderful run from him – with Dom taking third. Radbrook were able to take the team victory here, impressively managing to get all six counters inside the top twenty. Port Hill took second and Severn Hill third, a massive improvement on their 2019 effort. The 2nd House event was won by Port Hill, with a good-sized lead over Radbrook in second. 

The Senior Girls run a course of 4.1km and set off a couple of minutes before the Senior Boys, who run a different route. Iris D (G, LVI), having made a speedy recovery from being ill last week (is there anything she doesn’t do speedily?), set the pace early on here, with Huntswoman Sophia U (EDH, LVI) giving chase. In this race, the House team event was always going to be a battle between EDH and the Grove, as these two Houses both have some terrific runners and are quite evenly matched. So it proved today, with fourteen of the top fifteen positions being claimed by these two Houses, seven for each! Iris eventually claimed victory in 16:17, probably running within herself, and Sophia placed second in 16:47, showing what great form she’s in at the moment. Livy E (EDH, UVI), second in the Tucks, placed third here, ahead of a very tight finish across the line from the next three runners, Kate R (EDH, UVI), Tabitha W (G, UVI) and Hattie A (G, V). The team trophy was taken by Emma Darwin Hall, winning by just five points ahead of the Grove, with Mary Sidney taking third and Moser’s in fourth. 

The Senior Boys’ course is the longest and toughest, at 5.7km, and with a freezing wind cutting across site it made it all the harder. Harrison C (R, UVI) and Kristian T (I, LVI), a formidable pair this season, set off together at the front of the pack, and by the time they reached the back of Chapel their lead over the chasers was up to about fifteen seconds ahead of the nearest chaser, Huntsman Jonny P (I, UVI). As the crowd gathered at the finish line to cheer in the winners, they saw that Harrison had managed to pull away slightly from Kristian and finished with a celebratory forward roll across the line, completing the course in an impressive 20:16. Kristian was next, at the head of an Ingram’s trio of him, then Jonny, and Tim S (I, V) in fourth. Despite this, Port Hill were able to take the 1st House trophy, with a score of 95, almost 70 points ahead of their nearest rival, Severn Hill (who again managed to improve hugely on their team score in 2019 when they were ninth), with previous winners Churchill’s taking third. 

It was a great way to round off the term, and there was tremendous enthusiasm and House spirit shown by competitors and supporters alike. 

Ian Haworth

Master i/c RSSH