ISA London West Cross Country Championships
On Friday 13 February, pupils from St Gabriel’s School travelled to Sherfield School to compete in the ISA London West Cross Country Championships. With 25 pupils representing both the Junior and Senior Schools, it was a fantastic opportunity to test their endurance, determination and team spirit against strong competition from across the region.
The course, set within the beautiful grounds of Sherfield School, provided a true cross-country challenge. Following weeks of heavy rain, runners faced a muddy and demanding route that took them across open fields and through woodland terrain. Distances varied by age group, with U9 (Year 4) pupils running 1500m and distances increasing up to 3000m for the U14 (Years 8 and 9) competitors.
Despite the challenging conditions, St Gabriel’s pupils rose to the occasion with some outstanding individual and team performances. Olivia B delivered an exceptional run to secure 1st place in the U14 girls’ race, while Jonah L achieved an impressive 3rd place in the U14 boys’ event. Annie also ran superbly, finishing in 11th place and narrowly missing qualification for the national finals.
The championships also recognised team performances, with the top three finishers from each school contributing to the overall score. St Gabriel’s achieved an excellent 2nd place in the U14 girls’ team event and a strong 4th place in the U14 boys’ category.
A top 10 finish in each race qualifies runners for the national finals, making these results even more significant. Throughout the day, our pupils demonstrated resilience, determination and, importantly, fantastic team spirit—supporting and encouraging one another every step of the way.
We are incredibly proud of all our runners for their efforts in such testing conditions. Well done to everyone who took part, and best of luck to those progressing to the next stage of the competition.