The Abingdonian 2019

36 The Abingdonian Cross Country When reflecting on the 2018/19 cross country season there are numerous things to celebrate. Year on year I wonder if the next crop of Abingdon runners will live up to the high standards that have gone before them, and every year the boys step up to the mark and exceed expectations. This year the cross country squad has tasted success on a tough local race circuit and had 10 pupils receive the honour of pulling on the Oxfordshire vest at the English Schools National Cross Country Championships. David Bunn has captained the squad superbly well whilst balancing his school work, racing for Great Britain, and signing for a Finnish orienteering team. His performance at the King Henry Relays was one of the most committed and determined runs I have witnessed from a school boy, clawing back a total of seven places over the 2.3 mile course, to place the team in eighth position, at what is widely regarded as the unofficial national relay competition with schools travelling from up to 400 miles apart to compete. This season has been coined the year of the ‘young guns’, with a large amount of running talent in the lower age groups. The Abingdon boys in both the third and fourth year have turned heads, appearing in a number of senior races, and placing high up the rankings. They experienced an unbeaten run going into the English Schools Cup Final in Woodbridge and ran superbly well to finish seventh in the country. Many of the squad will be returning to the same competition next season, which is an exciting prospect. As the club continues to grow we have sought greater ways for boys to compete and represent the school. As well as the Abingdon Cross Country Cup we have also added the Abingdon Relays, held at Cox’s Field, which offered the boys a different racing experience to that of the traditional mob races. We hope to expand the competition and invite more schools in the coming years. I must once again thank the staff, boys and parents for their hard work and dedication to training, racing and supporting the boys throughout the year. The weather is not always kind and the terrain and racing can be brutal, but the Abingdon boys always dig deep and do so with a smile on their face, which makes me proud to coach them. Elliot Birkbeck