Writes Kate Shockley, Second in English
It was a pleasure to accompany four of our athletes to the Regional Cross Country Fixture on Monday 10th November. Advay B. (Divs), Eliyaan J. (Divs), Sami M. (4ths) and Ayngaran M. (4ths) all showed outstanding grit and determination, running – and waiting to run – in the wettest of conditions.
After an intrepid journey across London by tube and bus, we arrived to relentless downpours. The grass and sky seemed in competition to decide which could soak us more, setting the scene for a true cross-country test. The boys tackled a slippery 4.5k route against the strongest runners in the region. Many competitors lost their footing in the mud, but not a single runner in a Taylors’ vest hit the ground.
Advay conquered the three-lap course – churned up by three earlier races – in an excellent 17:05, with Eliyaan just one stride behind at 17:07. Anygaran and Sami, both Year 9 pupils running in a field dominated by Year 10s, recorded impressive times of 18:44 and 19:06 respectively.
But cross-country is never just about times. It is the athlete versus the terrain; the runner versus the course; the quiet rhythm of feet crossing the country. Although we narrowly missed out on Nationals this year, I left immensely proud of our talented and resilient runners.
