Primary Schools Relays Rock!

The weather was perfect as over 205 pupils took part in the long awaited re-arranged Primary Schools Cross Country Relays on the 8th March. The event was designed to introduce competitive Cross Country running to the younger age group in a fun and exciting format. Each runner in the team runs one lap of the course before passing on to the next runner, making for some very exciting changeovers and finishes!

The event was hosted and run by the High School PE staff with the assistance of the Isle of Wight Schools Competition Manager. The original event was postponed due to the extreme weather conditions in the autumn, but in the end, it was well worth waiting for.

There were 21 schools were represented in this event, with teams made up of three runners in races for year three, four, and five age groups. The year groups were split into races for boys, races for girls and also teams made up of both boys and girls to aid smaller schools in being able to compete.

The biggest of the races was the year five boys, with 19 teams competing. Cowes primary dominated this races taking both first and second place with Gurnard not far behind. The year five girls had 17 teams in their race which was won by St Mary’s, silver position went to Priory, followed in third by Bembridge. The year five mixed teams’ race had 14 to compete against with Gurnard again showing strongly taking gold, and Bembridge in both second and third places!

After the year fives had raced it was the turn of the year fours. The races had less numbers of teams in but were still hotly competed. The boys winners were again St Mary’s with Bembridge and Cowes again on the podium taking second and third respectively. In the girls race St Marys took top spot again, with Yarmouth coming in second. The strong Cowes contingent won the mixed race with Weston taking second and Niton in bronze medal position.

The last year to race was the year threes who had watched and learnt from the other year groups, and had the smallest numbers of team racing. Bembridge took first and second in both the boys and the girls’ races, and in the mixed race Niton were champions followed by Yarmouth in second and third places.

All the pupils, tried very hard and, were rewarded with a certificate, and the top teams had medals to show their achievements. The standard was high and there was a lot of promise on show, which bodes well for athletics and sport on the Island for the future!

Many thanks to all the staff that helped and Medina for hosting the first of these events for Primary Schools!