Relay run for Beds schools

MORE than 300 youngsters ran the cross-country relay event for Bedfordshire schools at Rowney Warren last Thursday.

Organised by Biggleswade AC, 22 teams took part in the first race for Year Five and Six boys.

Lincroft School from Oakley dominated the race, while Shefford school Robert Bloomfield were third.

Lincroft also won the girls' race for the same age group.

Lincroft turned the screw even further in the boys' Year Seven and Eight race.

Etonbury from Stotfold were the first Mid Beds school to finish in fifth place.

Lincroft completed the series, winning the girls' Year Seven and Eight race.

They did not have the fastest runner though as a storming final leg by Robert Bloomfield's Chelsea McKenzie took them past Etonbury into second place.

It was the only girls' leg of the day under four minutes. And it also ensured that Robert Bloomfield won the Mid Beds District Council sponsored trophy for the best Mid Beds middle school.

The senior schools' races saw Redborne continue their winning ways in this event but it was a close run thing.

Samuel Whitbread's Ryan Parker had a 1:27 deficit to make up on the last leg - and was only four seconds away from doing it. In a race where only two runners got under six minutes, Ryan got under five minutes! Redborne also finished third with Sandy Upper fourth, helped by Alex Bellew's 5:53 second leg.

It was a similar picture in the girls' race. Redborne girls were first but only managed to overhaul Samuel Whitbread on the last leg after Samantha Cutler had secured a big lead on the first leg.

Redborne won the boys' Year 11 and Sixth Form race ahead of Biddenham and Sandy Upper.

Redborne were denied a clean sweep in the upper school age group by Sandy's Natasha Peters. Short of runners, Natasha ran legs one and three and had the two fastest lap times.

Helped by Emily Aust on leg two, this was enough to beat Redborne and Samuel Whitbread.