On Saturday the 31st January our school competed in the Cross Country Competition at Tower Hill. The first thing everyone did was declaring for the race. The declaration point was in the St. Columbas gym hall. Once everyone got their numbers they went and warmed up their muscles in preparation for the run.
Some of us walked the course so we knew where we were running and others did some dynamic stretches. The conditions were anything but great! For example, there was snow which hid the mud which made it was slippery underfoot, but that didn’t stop us from running the race. We all showed great determination and everyone completed the course.
The first to race were the P5-6 girls. Everyone said good luck to each other and they set off to the start line. The course was 1 small lap and a big lap which was nearly a mile long. It was a hard way to start as you had to start on a hill. They did very well and won a team bronze so everyone is really pleased for them!
The next race was the P5-6 boys. They had the same course as the girls. It was a very close race between the leaders and we were all shouting and encouraging the runners on. We managed to come 4th place – well done everyone.
The last to run were the P7 boys and girls running together. We had a mile to run and our course was slightly different from the younger pupils. We had to make sure we paced ourselves and keep some energy for sprinting to the finish line at the end. It was great to have the rest of the team, Mrs Hunter and Miss Meechan cheering us on, it helped us keep going. We were really proud of ourselves when we completed the course, it was really challenging! P7 boys won a team gold with myself earning an individual gold, Lewis in 4th place, Ryan in 11th place and Anton in 15th place. To earn a team medal, you must have 3 or more runners in a top position. The girls ran really well too and Abbi came 15th. It makes all the hard work and practice worth it. We are looking forward to the next competition next month! By Andrew P7