LILY Hill Park in Bracknell was the venue for the 21st running of the Bracknell Schools Invitation Cross Country Relays.

The event was devised by former All England Cross Country Champion Julian Goater and is organised in conjunction with Bracknell Forest Council’s Young People in Sport Scheme.

There were four races based on team-running as more than 450 children took on the woodland and meadow course in a relay format.

This year’s event was made possible through financial support from England Athletics.

Arctic weather at the end of February caused the postponement of the event, but conditions for the re-run were just about perfect.

Success would be as much about smart running as it was about fast running.

The senior girls teams were the first to take on the challenging, one mile course.

Charters A led the early part of the race, opening a lead from their B team.

Gordons were never far behind and led at the end of the second leg, followed by Collingwood with Charters A in third.

Positions stayed that way through to the final changeover when Charters A came from nearly a minute behind to win by 24 seconds from Gordons, with Collingwood a further 30 seconds back in third.

Collingwood made the early running in the senior boys race, but the teams were much closer with Tomlinscote A and Dr Challoners A just a few seconds behind.

Dr Challoners have a fantastic record at this event and things looked ominous when they led through the middle part of the race.

But this year they could not break away as Tomlinscote A tracked them down to win by just two seconds after a sprint finish to the line with Dr Challoners A who finished just ahead of their B team.

The course for the junior races was shorter than the seniors, avoiding the worst of the boggy areas.

There were 26 teams in the junior girls race, where Hawley Place took an early lead.

Crawley Ridge A and Cleves A enjoyed a great battle with the lead changing hands a number of times.

Hawley Place remained in contention, as did St Charles Borromeo, who gradually improved after a steady start.

As the race entered its second half it was Crawley Ridge A that led from Cleves A and they were never threatened on the final leg to win by exactly a minute from Cleves.

St Charles Borromeo held off a determined challenge from Hawley Place to take third place. Ascot Heath were the best of the Bracknell Schools, finishing fifth followed by Wooden Hill in sixth.

Hawley Place were back to defend their title in the junior boys race and a 20 second lead at the first handover suggested they were the team to beat.

Cleves A and both Crawley Ridge teams led the challengers and by the end of the second leg Cleves had taken the lead as less than twenty seconds covered the potential medallists.

In a thrilling final leg, Cleves and Crawley Ridge battled for victory, with Cleves just about hanging on.

As the leaders entered the final stretch, Cleves held off Crawley Ridge to win a brilliant race, with a resurgent Hawley Place nipping in to take second.

The best of the local schools was New Scotland Hill A, who finished seventh with Wooden Hill eighth.

There were some terrific performances on the day and a number of shoes came off around the course as several runners crossed the line in just their socks.

But that failed to dampen their spirits – after all, that’s all part of the fun!

  • For lots more pictures - grab a copy of this week's Bracknell News (April 4).