The senior girls reach the top of the gut-buster, ready to drop into the mud at the inter-schools cross country.
The senior girls reach the top of the gut-buster, ready to drop into the mud at the inter-schools cross country.
With each of the six races having fields of 30-plus runners, the weather fine, a cooling wind helping the athletes, a challenging hilly course and excellent organisation, the 2023 Dannevirke Primary Schools cross-country race this month was a great event.
These intermediate girls from Huia Range look relaxed before their race.
Weber School hosted the event on the property of Simon and Trudy Hales, alternating year by year with St Joseph’s, which runs the event at the A&P Showgrounds.
The junior boys coming over the first ridge.
Teams from all the Dannevirke and district schools participated, vying for the Inter-School Trophy, awarded to the school whose athletes win the most individual points on aggregate. This year it was won by St Joseph’s by one point from Ruahine and Dannevirke South.
Still plenty of energy in the last 100 metres as Nireaha Carberry and Will Hogan fight it out for third in the senior boys' race, finishing third equal.
With some rain the week before but fine weather for five days before the event, the turf was soft but not too slippery, and mud was confined to the gullies - but still in sufficient quantities to make the athletes pretty grubby by race end, particularly the seniors who raced 2.5 kilometres.
Cooper Sutherland winning the senior boys' race.
Held from 11am-2pm, the race ran smoothly with lots of course marshals to guide the athletes and a four-wheeled vehicle running tail-end Charlie on each race to cope with injuries. The racers had been shown the course before the race.
Intermediate boys on the race downhill before the gut-buster.
They were rewarded with delicious sausages and onions on bread after the event, as well as praise and applause from lots of teachers, parents, peers and other volunteers.
Part of the reason St Joseph's won with these junior boys showing their placings on their wrists
Maizey Wrenn winning the intermediate girls' race comfortably.
Some of the St Joseph's team with the winner's trophy.
