It's a Chichester 1-2-3 - but Corporate Challenge comes to an early end

Runners of all ages battled hard for individual and team honours at the second – and on this occasion the last – evening of the 2020 Chichester Corporate Challenge series.
A Chichester 1-2-3, with winner Ned Potter flanked by Will Boutwood and Mike Houston / Picture: Derek MartinA Chichester 1-2-3, with winner Ned Potter flanked by Will Boutwood and Mike Houston / Picture: Derek Martin
A Chichester 1-2-3, with winner Ned Potter flanked by Will Boutwood and Mike Houston / Picture: Derek Martin

Another bumper turnout of more than 800 runners overeight races ensured there was close competition in every age group, ranging from the primary schools at the start to the hundreds in the senior B race at the end.

For the second race in succession, ex-Olympian Penny Forse returned the streets of Chichester where she started her running career as a junior in the 1960s. She is now still going strong in the over-70 age bracket.

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Forse, running then as Penny Yule, reached the semi-finals of the 1500m at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She said she was delighted to be back in Chichester but had not realised quite what a special atmosphere the event created.

The first three women home / Picture: Derek MartinThe first three women home / Picture: Derek Martin
The first three women home / Picture: Derek Martin

Seniors

There were new winners in both the men’s and women’s categories as neither of the race-one winners, Liam Dunne or Ellie Farrow, lined up.

Ned Potter, who had been narrowly edged out two weeks earlier, stamped his authority from the start. Not waiting for the rest of the 110-strong A race field, Potter quickly established daylight between himself and a chasing pack of a dozen after the first of the four laps. His lead was never seriously threatened and the 18-year-old won by 12 seconds in 13min 43sec.

Will Boutwood came through strongly in second ahead of Mike Houston making it a clean sweep for Chichester-based athletes.

The start of the secondary school boys' race / Picture: Derek MartinThe start of the secondary school boys' race / Picture: Derek Martin
The start of the secondary school boys' race / Picture: Derek Martin
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Katie Hopkins, third last time, won the women’s race by 30 seconds in 16.05 from fellow Hampshire-based pair Emma Montiel and Amy Bream, who crossed together.

Teamwise, Chichester’s youth team were without two of the winning team from race one and had to give way to Solent Endurance in the sports category while a familiar name returned to the top of the podium in the corporate Rankings with DSTL Portsdown getting the better of Chichester District Council and Irwin Mitchell.

Second CC race night in picturesFor the women’s event, Chichester DC came out on top in the corporate rankings in front of Rume2 and Bosham Staff while Portsmouth-based Team Purser beat Chichester Casuals and Chichester Youth as best sports team.

Primary schools

As usual the primary boys got the evening off to a cracking start with a field of just short of 100 charging off in the Year 6 race.

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With the first three were again separated by only a handful of seconds, Stanley Wilkes of Jessie Younghusband held off a strong Challenge from William Allen from Easeboune, crossing the line in 4.48 with previous winner Casper Wilson from Hiltingbury third.

Adam Mainwaring, also from Jessie Younghusband, was again first home in the Year 5 race, pressed much closer on this occasion by improving Frankie Pope from Kingsham, the pair crossing in 4.46 and 4.48.

For the team aggregates Jessie YH were again clear although Kingsham improved to take runners-up spot with Fishbourne again third.

It was déjà vu in the girls’ Year 6 race with Poppy Taylor from Overton dipping under the magical five-minute barrier by five seconds to beat Maddie Songhurst from Vale Middle School and Grace Haworth of Great Ballard.

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Iona Sherwood from Jessie YH was again a clear winner of the Year 5 race in 5.30 with Amber Haig runner-up and Isla Hill from Fishbourne again in third. Great Ballard were again in pole position in the team placings while Oakwood pushed Jessie Younghusband into third.

Secondary girls

In the absence of older sister Olivia, winner of race one, younger sister and Year 7 pupil Florence from Mayfield School took advantage and won the secondary girls’ race outright, the first time a runner from that year has done it since ex-junior international Charlotte Browning achieved the feat running for Fishbourne Primary School more than 20 years ago.

Runner-up in the Year 7 age group was Lillie Hellyer from Felpham CC, followed by Kitty Bryden from Portsmouth Academy and Florence Ingram from Bishop Luffa with all four inside the eight-minute mark for the 2100m.

Fifth-placed Carrie Anelay led Midhurst Rother to a narrow team win over Bishop Luffa with St Philip Howard in third.

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First Year 8 pupil home was Anya Barrett, beating Lauren South from Petersfield and Daisy Moody from Brookfield.

Barrett also led her Midhurst Rother squad to victory in front of St Philip Howard and Great Ballard.

In the combined Years 9/10 race Cerys Dickinson led the field home. Hampshire athletes Emily Dunkley and Grace Park occupied the next two places while fourth-placed Amelie McGurk led her Bishop Luffa squad to second place behind St Philip Howard, with Felpham CC third.

Secondary boys

It was the same pairing as a fortnight earlier at the head of the field with Cameron Walker-Powell from St Edmunds again getting the better of Joe McLarnon from Ditcham Park, both boys in Year 10 and having their final races in the event as juniors.

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Behind them came the St Philip Howard Year 9 pairing of Conor McCormack and Fionn O’Murchu who led their combined Year 9 and 10 team to victory over Bishop Luffa, led home by Gabryel White, and Chichester Free School, led by Logan Cooper.

There was another runaway win for Josh Dunne from Bohunt in the Year 8 boys’ race with a time of 6.38 for the 2100m three-lap course, one of the fastest times in the history of the race for his age group.

Behind were Archie Turner from Worthing and Alessandro Schmitt from Churchers while good packing enabled Midhurst Rother to get the better of St Philip Howard in the team rankings.

There were just two seconds separating the first two home in the Year 7 boys’ race as Digby Fulford winning again. The next three home, all from Bishop Luffa, made sure of the team prize with Noah Collins, Alex Sydenham and Ethan Hill too good for Chichester High School.

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* In the light of the recent government advice over coronavirus together and a statement from England Athletics, the sport’s governing body, the final races of the series planned for next Wednesday have been cancelled.

No alternative date will be sought because of the uncertainty of the length of time that social and sporting restrictions will be in place.

The organisers will consider the fairest way to award individual and team medals for 2020 taking into consideration that some athletes, especially secondary school pupils, were obliged to miss the first race.

A full list of medal winners will be in next week’s Observer.