Hundreds of primary school children from Easter Ross and East Sutherland have spent the winter honing their cross country running skills with opportunities to race organised by High Life Highland Active Schools Co-ordinators.
The Cross Country Winter Series – which kicked off back in November at Fairburn, followed by Alness, Invergordon, Dornoch, Inver and finally Culbokie – has been the most successful to date with 1160 entries from 25 schools, a big increase on the previous year.
Aimed at P4-P7 pupils, each school can enter up to eight boys and eight girls. Each race is approx. 1600m with each venue providing a different terrain and circuit to challenge runners over the winter months.
In the girls races, all but one this season was won by Alexandra Gunn from Inver Primary School with a variety of other runners gaining second and third place; Amber Bergmann from Kiltearn Primary School winning the Fairburn race as well as a second place at Alness; Eilidh McGarry winning a second, third, fourth and sixth place and Eden Lipovska winning two seconds and a third place.
Mackie Henderson from Kiltearn Primary School had a clean sweep of first place in each of the boys races, with Harris Ewan from the same school a very close second, with three second places and two third places! Also Calvin MacKenzie from Dornoch Primary School was very much in contention with three seconds and a third place. Each race awards the first 10 runners a medal as they cross the finishing line.
The sixth and final race of the Winter Series took place last month with the full series results announced just last week at the annual Ross-shire Primary Schools Sports Association (RPSSA) Cross Country event with Dingwall Primary School girls winning overall and for the boys, Kiltearn Primary School taking top spot.
Individual Results Girls:
1st – Alexandra Gunn – Inver Primary School
2nd – Eden Lipovska – Strathpeffer Primary School
3rd – Eilidh McGarry – Dingwall Primary School
Individual Results Boys:
1st – Mackie Henderson – Kiltearn Primary School
2nd – Harris Ewan – Kiltearn Primary School
3rd – Calvin MacKenzie – Dornoch Primary School
Elissa Stevenson, High Life Highland Active Schools Co-ordinator, said: “It’s just wonderful to see so many primary children attending these events and representing their school as part of a team. They all try their best and cross the finish line with their fellow teammates and school staff and parents cheering them on. The variety of courses is great and really challenges the runners but even in the cold weather and snow, the runners complete the course with determination!
“Our aim is to get more children more active more often and these races give the children, and schools, the opportunity to do just that – being competitive and having fun the whole time.
“We would like to thank all school staff and parents who support the children at these events, without volunteers these races wouldn’t be possible – thank you! Also, the volunteers and staff who run the lunchtime and after school training sessions leading up to these events, this support is invaluable. If you want more info on your schools running club or local athletics club, please get in touch with your Active Schools Co-ordinator”
The Cross Country Winter Series set of races are organised as a training opportunity for pupils involved in the RPSSA Cross Country event and to provide an opportunity for pupils who don’t take part in the larger, area event to run and represent their school in a local event.
