The longest established cross country run
Throughout its history, pupils at Lancing College have excelled at sport, as well as in academic subjects. The College has always understood the importance of nurturing healthy bodies, alongside educating minds for the future.
Lancing College is set in the South Downs, in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which makes it ideal for cross country running. Pupils are given great encouragement by teacher Nigel Brookes, who runs the School’s Cross Country Club.
Lancing College has just celebrated the centenary of the Cross Country Race between sporting pupils from the College and the South London Harriers, a famous running club. This is one of the oldest sporting fixtures anywhere, and the superb, yet challenging countryside through which competitors run, makes it unique.
Over the years, teams from other schools have joined the race. This year, Lancing College and the South London Harriers were joined by enthusiastic teams from Charterhouse, Sevenoaks School, Ardingly College, The John Fisher School and Brighton College. They ran three and five mile courses.
The course has hardly changed over 100 years. It takes the runners from one prominent landscape feature to another, starting just above the school; and includes lightly ploughed fields, steep valleys and hills, woods, downland, farmyards, marshy meadows, fences and exhilarating tracks on high ground, with views to the sea. There is one difference in the present-day race – girls now also compete.
This year’s race was run on a grey, wet, windy afternoon – just about perfect conditions for cross country running! Ben Pugh, aged 17, an outstanding cross country runner, was the first senior Lancing pupil to cross the finishing line. He received a special commemorative trophy from Francis Upcott, of the South London Harriers, who has run this race since the 1970s. After the run, all competitors enjoyed a well deserved slice of a special Centenary Cake.
The sentiments of the competitors at the end of the 2013 race echoed those recorded in the South London Harriers’ Gazette in 1913:
“Memorable indeed … we had a most enjoyable time, but what was perhaps best of all, we had a race over a most interesting course, exhilarating and sporting to a degree, one which none of us will soon forget, and yet which all of us will look forward to racing over again.”
Sport at Lancing
The College has extensive playing fields, as well as amenities for many indoor games. One of the foremost football and cricket schools, it also has a strong reputation for squash and swimming. In recent years, sporting expeditions include netball and cricket tours to South Africa. In addition, the College offers aerobics, badminton, clay-pigeon shooting, fencing, fives, golf, karate, rock climbing, riding, rounders, rugby, sailing, volleyball and water polo.