Chichester Corporate Challenge is cut short - but still has plenty of team and individual champions

Individual and team medals will be awarded although the race committee has used its discretion especially when reviewing the secondary schools age group as to the criteria. Senior teams have been ranked based on an aggregate of the two races which took place, as will primary school results. But for secondary pupils, only the faster of the two races will be taken into consideration – to allow for some of the schools and athletes having to miss race one over a clash with a county schools championship. Seniors Five out of the fastest seven times in this year’s A races were set by Chichester-based runners. Ned Potter, 18, became the youngest winner of the men’s title with Thomas Walker runner-up and Will Boutwood third. Potter opted to compete in race two just three days before representing Sussex in the English Schools Cross Country Championships in Liverpool. Walker led his Solent Endurance squad to a team victory over the Chichester Youth squad. See this week's Chichester Observer for the top 10 individuals for the series in each race category plus a rundown of the leading corporate and sport teams It was Hampshire domination in the women’s category with eight of the top ten times and an overall win for Katie Hopkins over Emma Montiel and Saffron Moore, with Team Purser comfortaby beating Chichester Casuals for the women’s sports team prize. There is a new team on the corporate roll of honour with a win for Chichester District Council, led by multi-talented sportsman Ben Polhill. Midhurst Rother Staff got the better of Felpham CC staff for the runners-up spot while newcomers Rume2 won the women’s corporate title ahead of CDC and Bosham Primary School staff. Schools: Primary The closest margin in any age group came in the boys’ Year 6 race with Stanley Wilkes of Jessie Younghusband having one second to spare over Casper Wilson of Hiltingbury with William Allen from Easebourne another second back. In the Year 5 race Matthew Mainwaring, also of Jessie Youghusband, had a comfortable 20-second gap over Frankie Pope from Kingsham with Jake Courtney of JYS in third. Jessie Younghusband won the team prize with Oakwood and Kingsham also in the top three. Last year’s girls’ Year 5 winner, Poppy Taylor, travelled again from Overton and dominated the Year 6 girls’ races with Maddie Songhurst from Vale Middle and Grace Howarth from Great Ballard behind her. Iona Sherwood gave Jessie Younghusband their third win in the girls’ Year 5 standings with Isla Hill from Fishbourne second and Chloe Abell from Aldingbourne third. Great Ballard took the team win over Jessie Younghusband and Aldingbourne. Secondary schools It was an East family double in the secondary girls’ races. Olivia East from Mayfield set the fastest time of all with a very quick 6.57. She scooped the Year 10 prize followed by Emily Dunkley from Angmering and Cerys Dickinson from St Philip Howard, another athlete who was on duty for Sussex in the English Schools championships. In Year 9 Amelie McGurk from Bishop Luffa came out ahead of Isabelle Isitt from Felpham CC and Naomi Ward from Midhurst Rother. The combined Years 9 and 10 team race brought victory for St Philip Howard ahead of Bishop Luffa and Felpham CC. Anya Barrett had a double cause for celebration in the Year 8 race as she beat Petersfield pair Hattie Bond and Lauren South for the individual title as well as leading Midhurst Rother to team gold ahead of St Philip Howard and Great Ballard. There was another team title for Midhurst in the Year 7 race ahead of Bishop Luffa and St Philip Howard although individual awards went to Hampshire pair Florence East and Kitty Brydon ahead of Lillie Hellyer from Felpham CC. There was a Titanic battle in the boys’ race with Year 10 pair Cameron Walker-Powell and Joe Mclarnon having been close rivals since their primary days. The Year 9 pair of Fionn O’Murchu and Conor McCormack brought the Years 9/10 team title to St Philip Howard with third-placer Hal Edgar leading his Midhurst team to second place over Bishop Luffa. There was a convincing win for Josh Dunne in the Year 8 boys’ rankings, winning by nearly half a minute from Worthing-based Archie Turner and Alessandro Schmitt from Churchers. Midhurst Rother took another team title from St Philip Howard. It was a local one-two-three in the Year 7 boys’ age group with Digby Fulford from Chichester High School getting the better of Bishop Luffa pair Noah Collins and Alex Sydenham with team-mate Etan Hill in fourth to secure team honours ahead of Chichester High School. A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: Thank you for reading this story on our website. But I also have an urgent plea to make of you. 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