After school yesterday, a team of KS2 children took part in the annual cross-country event, a test on our value of resilience! This year saw Years 5 and 6 included again, with each year group only competing against their own – 4 races in total, with girls competing with each other and boys competing with each other.

There were huge crowds of support for all the runners and an even bigger number of runners, well over 100 in each race!

First up was Year 3, who were experiencing the event for the first time. Some children were nervous, some excited, but once the race began, all of the team did a fantastic job, and even through the tiredness were smiling at the end. They showed great determination, roared on by our older year groups! A huge well done to them all!

Next up was Year 4, a smaller team but an experienced one with 3/4 of the team competing for the second time. Again, this team did an amazing job, using their learning from last year, not sprinting off and burning out but running in a controlled manner. This race saw some great efforts from the team, earning our school 2 medals! Our winner had an unbelievable run and retained her Gold medal, closely followed by her classmate, who had to push all the way to the end to fend off the third-place runner, which she achieved! A huge well done to our third runner in the team who ran her first cross country with a fantastic finishing place and to our fourth who pushed and pushed to beat his previous finishing place!

Following on from the 4’s were the 5’s. Another team with some children who had experienced the race last year when in year 4. Again, the children listened and focused on setting themselves a pace. This race saw our school achieve our third medal of the evening. Our runner had been close to the leader throughout and was closely followed by the third place runner. Coming around the final bend, the third place runner thought he saw a chance and began his final sprint, his last push to catch the Belmont athlete in 2nd, who, showing grit and determination, changed pace to a sprint and dashed to the line to earn himself the silver medal. A massive well done to all of the other runners in Year 5, a great effort from each and every one of them!

The final race of the event was Year 6. Again, a smaller team who had not taken part since Year 4, so were pleased to be back. Many of the children remembered where they finished the race in Year 4 and were determined to beat it. They supported each other around the course, found their pace and showed the spirit to get to the end with some excellent efforts and finishing places!

The adults from school who attended the event were extremely proud of ALL the children who took part. Not only for their efforts on the track but for their attitude and support towards each other. It was fantastic to see all of the children supporting the others in their races, cheering them on, even running next to them to support them in their quest to the finish line! The resilience all the children showed, the determination, ambition and the community spirit was to be admired!