Chichester city road races heading for exciting finishes

With a total of over 1600 runners over the two evenings so far, there is sure to be a big turn-out for the final races next Wednesday (March 29), where overall team and individual awards will be decided.

Main senior races

There were new names this time at the head of both the men’s and women’s field with local top runner Mike Houston too good for the rest in the A race crossing the line in a fine 13 minutes 51 seconds, a great time in the soggy conditions where extra care was needed in negotiating some of the tight corners around the course.

Fittingly as the originator of the Chichester Parkrun, he spearheaded their team in the race.

Close behind but agonisingly one second outside the 14-minute barrier was Hampshire-based Cameron Walker-Powell, a regular on the streets of Chichester in both junior and senior age groups and a previous winner of the senior A race.

Connsistent Tom Beasley was third and, in the absence of Solent Endurance who won race one, he led his strong Team Purser squad to a clean sweep of the sports team places.

As always there is much interest in the corporate team standings and once again, Hampshire-based DSTLl have turned out a strong squad and look to be heading for another team victory.

After the first two races their lead over second placed SSE has grown to over 15 minutes; however things are much closer for the minor placings with third-placed Cawley Crawlers just over a minute back in third.

In the women’s race, there was another Hampshire clean sweep in the individual placings with Eleanor Harnden, Mia Billings and Corin Bearpark taking advantage of the absence of first-night winner Cassie Thorp.

Team Purser are again at the head of the sports team rankings with Chichester’s team of juniors and ex-juniors a clear second thanks to under-17 Anya Barrett leading a squad of Cerys Dickinson, Grace Wills and Charlotte Reading.

Two Corporate teams have forged clear with Cowdray holding a two-minute advantage over Oakwood school staff.

Secondary school races

While there were no new course records in the Secondary schools races, there was some fine competition in both the boys and girls events.

Phoebe Concannon from Churchers once again showed her class in the the Year 7 race and finished in 7.47 seconds, a full 40 seconds in front of a close duel between Bethany Adams from Portsmouth High and Lucy Allen from Midhurst Rother College.

In the Year 8 race Aurelia Klidjian of The Royal School was followed home by Elodie Hill from Bishop Luffa in a fast winning time of 7.19.

Things were closer in the two top secondary year groups with Molly Smithers from Chichester High School having four seconds to spare over Holly Cunningham from Oaklands in the Year 9 race, crossing the line in 7.18.

It was in the Year 10 race where the coveted seven-minute barrier was broken by Laila Hellyer from Chichester Free School in 6.55. Next home was home-schooled Emily Carman just 10 seconds adrift in 7.05 with Lillie Hellyer third in 7.09.

The leading team positions are held by three different schools with Bishop Luffa leading Year 7, Churchers Years 8 and the Free School leading the combined Years 9 and 10 category.

For the boys the top two in Year 7 swapped places from the opening rac with Toby Baker from The Petersfield School just getting the better of Churchers; Luca di Giovanni in a spedy 6.58.

Max Gayle was first local runner home in 5th and led his Bishop Luffa team to a win over Midhurst Rother in second.

Record breaker from race one Ben Stewart was again too good for the rest in the Year 8 race but had to be content with a time of 6.41 in the conditions, 10 seconds slower than two weeks previously.

Oakley Knipe from Cams Hill and Harry Dunne from Bohunt occupied the next two places although it was good packing from Chichester Free school which gave them a minute margin over St Philip Howard with one race to go.

The stand-out competitor in the Year 9 race was again Oscar Reynolds from Brookfield with a clear minute over his nearest challenger in the four-lap race while things were much closer in Year 10 with Ben Ward from Ditcham getting the better of Bishop Luffa duo Monty Hill and Noah Collins, which helped to give Luffa the edge in the team race from close challengers Midhurst Rother and Chichester High School.

Primary schools races

The evening started with the popular primary schools races with Hampshire duo of Jonathan Tildesley from St Swithins and Oliver Cameron from Horndean coming the closest to a course record with 4.33 and 4.34 for the two-lap 1400m course.

Levi Pearce was third in 4.53, matched by Charlie Carman, winner of the Year 5 race with Theo Rehill for Kinghsma and Alfie Luxford from Aldingbourne the next two.

In the team standings, Kingsham lead.

For the girls, Romilly Baker of St Judes had a four-second margin over Freya Klepacz from The Petersfield School while Rose Pemberton from Oakwood won the Year 5 race and led her Oakwood squad to another win over Walberton & Binstead.

The final races take place next Wednesday, March 29.

Competitors will be eagerly looking forward to the final evening of the series and new entries may be accommodated at a reduced rate.

Check the Chichester Runners & AC website for availability. Go to https://www.chichester-runners.org.uk/corporate-challenge for further details.