On Saturday the 14th of March the 57th English Schools XC
championship took place, in Witton Park in Blackburn. To even qualify for this
event is a great individual achievement as it is an inter county race, where
the best 8 for each county are selected for a boys team and a girls team in
three age groups: junior, intermediate, and senior, so a total of 48 people run
for each county. I was running for Leicestershire in the Junior boys race along
with my twin brother. Our race was at 13:00.
My day started early
as I had to get up for the team bus which left from De Lisle school at 8:00,
because of a long 2 and a half hour journey to Blackburn. After we had arrived
we settled down under the Leicestershire tent and we then went to our team
manager. When we had gone to him, we all went and walked the course. Soon after
it was time to warm up, before the race. Before we knew it, the race was about
to start.
I was second in the Leicestershire pen, after my brother and
so I was able to get a good start. We went off fast and were sticking together
when someone fell over and took my brother down with them. At around the half
way mark he caught up with me, but he went past me on the hill. At the end of
the race I overtook a few people. It turns out individually I came 36th and my
brother was 13th, which meant he was only 5 places off an England selection. However
a boy form my school actually individually won the intermediate race.
Considering there were over 300 runners who were all of the
best in the country we had both done very well. It was a very interesting day
and we have gained experience for the next four years we are able to qualify
for this event