On Saturday the Final (nearly) x-country race of the season took place with the 100th English Schools x-country race taking place on the x-country (horse) course at Ardingly, Sussex. With teams of eight lining up in pens from all the English Counties it was always going to see fast race starts but with the bumpy ground there were several fallers in the first furlong. 

First race up was the Inter Girls race and Rachel Bowden was one of the unlucky ones to fall early on. With the narrow course and short 3,750m race it was difficult to move up from the 328 strong field. So it ended up being a good run from Rachel to work through to 213th place.

Next race was the Junior Boys over the shorter 2,850m course and again Trafford's runners were unlucky to fall early on or have to avoid others falling. Ralphie Rome avoided trouble to finish inside the top 100 in 96th place and 2nd Greater Manchester Runner and Arlo Mander-Tullius (241st) and Thomas Daly (243rd) ran well to move up from the back of the race.

After the Junior Girls race it was then the Inter Boys 4,800m race with 7 Trafford runners selected to represent their counties. With England Selection on the line for the 1st 10 runners in the Junior and Inter races there was a group of 10 that got away from the field by half way. This included Pio Aron and his Greater Manchester Team Mate Evan Grime (Salford). With a mile to go Evan split the field up moving away for a clear victory with Pio (10th) holding on to claim his second England vest in next weeks final x-country of the season at the Schools Home Countries in Scotland. Adrian White who is bottom of this age group ran strongly throughout the race to finish 20th and backed up by Tio Austin (45th), Evan Lewis (81st), and Fin Dobson Emmas (206th) the Greater Manchester Team claimed 3rd place overall. Also competting well for Cheshire were Ben Keeley (86th) and Archie Greenwood (167th).

In the Senior race Ava Clough (10th) continued her great finish to the x-country season leading the Greater Manchester team to the silver medals. It was also good to see Elizabth Sinclair (120th) run so well for Shropshire in her first race of the winter. In the Senior Boys race Jay Hutchinson (50th) ran well in a packed field finishing 2nd Greater Manchester runner and not far behind was Josh Watson in 151st.

Click here for Full Results: MYLAPS Sporthive Event Results