Cross-Country Championships
1st April 2025
Priory Junior School Celebrate 25 years of Cross Country Triumph
Spectacular Anniversary Championships
On 1st April, an amazing 600 children from 44 schools (160 teams) competed in what is believed to be one of the biggest relay events of its kind in the country. The event, which this year celebrated its 25th anniversary was organised by Priory Junior School, St Neots, and was held in Priory Park, St Neots.
The children, aged 9-11 years competed in mixed teams in two separate races for Year 5 and Year 6 pupils (four in each team) with each team member running a 1,100 metre leg. This year the children totalled more than half a million metres altogether as they ran for their schools in perfect race conditions!
The event has become tremendously popular and provides an ideal introduction to cross country running for hundreds of youngsters. The children love running for their teams and schools and they encourage each other so much that it has been said that the cheering is louder than in the London Marathon. This year, the enthusiasm generated resulted in record breaking times and created some life-long memories for those taking part. To commemorate the 25th anniversary, all of the children took part in a spectacular celebratory Viking handclap!
It truly was a memorable day for organising school, Priory Junior, entering 7 teams who all ran superbly.
Host school, Priory Junior, enjoyed lots of success at their own special event. In the Year 5 race Priory teams finished 3rd, 4th, 9th, 29th and 35th with the A team of Lucca, Oscar, Elizabeth and Theo recording the school’s fastest ever time of 17mins and 51 seconds, with the B team (Jack, Dalton, Amaya and Ben) hot on their heels in 4th position. In the Year 6 event Priory’s A team of Finley, Seth, Lacey, Rocco finished in 7th place followed by the B team in 29th.
There was success for both Histon and Impington Village Primary who won the Year 5 race and Buckden C.E. Primary Academy who won the Year 6 race. Fastest small schools on the day were Barnabas Oley C. of E. Primary School in the Year 5 race and Coton C. of E. Primary School in the Year 6 event.
The evening was made all the more memorable with local Paralympian, Sean Rose was on hand to present the awards and start the races. The event could not be held without the whole community coming together to help. This year there were special jubilee medals for all finishers and many special thanks go to this year's many sponsors who made this possible: ABM Catering, Chip Timing Solutions and First4numbers.
Also, many thanks go to the Riverside Runners and Longsands Academy, and Hunts Schools Sports Partnership, the many staff and parents at Priory Junior School for their fantastic efforts in officiating and setting up the course on the day.
Race Organisers, Carolyn Tully, Alex Brolia, Tracy Keefe and Kevin Sadler said, “An event of this nature does not happen on its own and this year it took a real team effort from a huge number of volunteers, who gave their time and expertise to ensure the children had a day to remember. Our thanks go to all those who made this day such a huge success.”