Chichester Corporate Challenge race series comes to thrilling end

With just over 1000 competing on each of the first two evenings, the total of more than 2900 overall was easily the best ever and delighted race director Winston Bond said he pleased with how well this year had gone.

Fine weather greeted runners and there was an abundance of fast times and close finishes amomg the eight races.

Primary schools

This year saw well over 400 primary pupils take part. First off were the Year 6 boys with Nathaniel Jolly having his best run of the series to overturn a six-second deficit over Riley Ayre from Goring and win the series by a second, with Frankie Keeler of West Wittering third.

In the Year 5 race the same trio have dominated, with Oscar Paynter-Hart winning followed by Finlay Cammack of Jessie Younghusband and Albie Cooper of Downview.

Picture special from the 2025 opening night.

Pictures and video from the second race night.

Photos and video from the series finale.

Despite of a win for Kingsham on the night, Jessie Younghusband retained the team lead from Downview with Kingsham third.

Perhaps the best primary performance of the night came in the Year 6 race from Amelie Adams who came within one second of the course record with an outstanding time of 4min 37sec, a time only beaten by boys winner, Jolly.

Beatrix Harrison-Jones was absent but had done enough to gain second place with Imogen Younghusband second on the night and third overall.

Molly Mathews from Oakwood wrapped up the Year 5 title with Maddie Cooper from Seaford College having already secured second and Honor Johnson from Kingsham runner-up on thenight and third overall. Teamwise, Oakwood were overall winners, from Bosham and North Mundham.

Secondary girls

There were battling performances in the secondary girls’ race with, as ever, a strong contingent from Hampshire involved.

There was a new winner of the Year 10 race with Rilly Killjian from Ditcham Park getting the better of previous winner and series champion Bethy Naylor-Davis form Seaford – with Charlotte Oakley from Bohunt third.

In the Year 9 race the order of the final race was identical to the overall placings with Isabella Lendrum from Biship Luffa, Freya Briggs from Admiral Lord Nelson and Isla Pearson from Oscar Romero the top three.

It was another Hampshire clean sweep in the Year 8 race with Romilly Baker from Swanmore the series winner from Amelia Calder and Imogen Shaw, both from Churchers.

There was domination from the top three in the Year 7 girls’ race with Meoncross duo Emmeline Fowler and Lydia Jones followed home by Emmy Pemberton from Churchers.

Teamwise there were overall wins for Churchers, Seaford College and Bishop Luffa.

Secondary boys

There was a new winner of the secondary boys’ race with Oakley Knipe from Cams Hill posting a time of 8.20 for the 2800m course, one of the top three times in the history of the race.

Ben Stewart form Bishop Luffa took advantage of the absence of Harry Dunne in race three did just enough to secure victory over Dunne, of Bohunt, with Alex Priston form Horndean third.

There was a repeat of race two in the Year 9 boys’ race with Luca di Giovanni from Petersfield School beating Bishop Luffa pairing Max Gayle and Joe Stewart with all three comfortably inside the all-time top 10.

In the younger secondary age groups Oliver Cameron from Horndean again came out on top from Lucas Bulger from Chichester Free School with Chichester High School’s Albie Dormer third.

Rocco Hodges from Felpham CC won the overall Year 7 boys’ title from home-educated Charlie Carman and Alfie Luxfird from Ormiston. Teamwise there were wins for Bishop Luffa in Year 7, Chichester High School in 8 and Bishop Luffa in Year 9/10.

Senior races

In the absence of the top Solent Endurance quartet from the first two races, it was a chance for Havant Hawks pairing Oliver Priston and Oscar Tipping to lead the rest home in the senior A race.

They again beat the 14-minute barrier but were not as fast as Cameron Walker-Powell’s time of 13.06, which was the fastest of this year’s series but one of the fastest ever.

Tipping scooped the overall series award with team mate Conrad Meagher second and Rob Fryer third and leading his DSTL team to another Corporate category win by 19 minutes from the University of Chichester staff team who had two minutes to spare over SSE.

Havant Hawks won the sports team category but there was a good showing from the runners-up team of Bakers4, who are still all in the U17 age group with a squad of Micah Williams, Noah Collins, Kai Lendrum, Ethan Hill and Monty Hill. They pipped the Chichester Triathlon team into third.

In the women’s category there was another outstanding run from Molly Smithers whose time of 14.50 was only beaten by 11 men in the A race.

Good runs from Laila Hellyer and Ela Pemberton on the night secured the two overall top spots as neither of the two previous winners, Smithers and Rachel Laurie, had run in all three races. Lillie Hellyer was third overall.

Chichester Casuals were too strong over the rest in the sports team category while Cowdray were well-deserved winners in the main corporate categeory from Team Parklands and Outdoor Adventurers.