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LEICESTERSHIRE PRIMARY SCHOOLS ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION
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Is this the biggest schools cross country event of its kind in the U.K?
Winner of the inaugural Daily Telegraph School Sports Matters Contribution to Sport Award 2006
Winner of the Leicester Mercury Sports Event of the Year Award 2008.
"Leicestershire’s league is a template which should be highlighted and adopted nationwide.” Daily Telegraph.
Many observers regard the cross-country league as the most successful of its type in the country. Indeed the Daily Telegraph has led its School Sports Matters with the headline “Leicestershire league is the one to follow.”
From its humble origins the league has grown phenomenally.
When a great turn out of 1,800 young athletes finished the first event of Leicestershire Primary Schools Athletics Association’s 2009 cross-country league in October it promised to be another record breaking year. However unfavourable weather conditions meant the cancellation of the last two races of the season and as a result the individual and league standings were decided on the outcomes of the first race.
Notwithstanding this final disappointment in its 33rd. season, the league remains the biggest and best of its kind in the country in terms of size of fields and sporting spirit with its motto of “FUN, FITNESS, FULFILMENT.”
In 2007 it attracted its highest ever fields in its 31st. season. With 1,834 finishers in October, followed by a record 1,899 at its November meeting, the total aggregate record for the season was smashed when a record final league race field of 1,728 ran in the in December. 5,461 finishers completed the 3 race series to give it its best overall total since moving to the 3 meet format in 1999. – an astounding average of 1,820.
We expect to hit the following “landmarks” during this coming season since we moved to the 8 race format.
• 9,000th Year 3 Girl finisher
• 9,000th Year 4 Girl finisher
• 13,000th. Year 4 Boy finisher
• 7,000th Year 6 Girl finisher
and to cap it all…. our 80,000th. Overall Finisher
The league’s success continues to have a direct influence on secondary school and club athletics locally. The fields of the Leicestershire secondary schools cross-country league have increased dramatically as a direct result of our primary children continuing their enthusiasm for the sport into the next phase of their education. Local clubs have seen the interest that we have cultivated and are aware that positive steps need to be taken to nurture these youngsters and keep them in the sport.
Amongst children who began their competitive outings in our league, we can boast Lisa York (Barcelona Olympian and Women's National Cross-Country Champion), Maxine Newman (another Olympian and English Schools Intermediate 1500m Champion), Helen Titterington (a current international and a former national road and cross country champion), Tracey Maycock (a former Midlands County Champion), Melanie Wilkes (English Schools Cross-Country silver medallist), and Neil Allen (Mid Counties 3km Junior Champion). Nick Mapp, James Siddons and Ryan Falkner also received representative honours. In the past 2 years Paul Miles and Hannah Whitmore received England vests for cross country.
With the focus on increasing sports participation and promoting the children’s health agenda this event certainly hits the right spots. The league continues to encourage thousands of primary – aged children, within the county and city area, to represent their schools with the positive kind of sporting attitude and endeavour that should grace any sport. Indeed the Telegraph stated “Surely Leicestershire’s league is a template which should be highlighted and adopted nationwide.”
George Smolinski
LPSAA Development Officer
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