Medals and Qualifications for Woodbridge School in Two Cross Country Events

It’s been another exception week for our Cross Country runners.  Our reports below hold news of last week’s Cross Country; King Henry VIII School Relay Race at The Memorial Park in Coventry, and the Anglian Schools Cross Country held in Northampton. 

King Henry VIII School Relays Race, The Memorial Park, Coventry 

This is a great event known for its high standard, with runners typically coming from top running schools across the UK.  It has some serious history to it with the likes of Sebastian Coe, Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, Dave Moorcroft and Richard Nerurker setting presidency, as well as distinguished guests for award presentations such as Ron Hill MBE, Basil Heatley, Liz Yelling, George Harrison MBE.  

With all of that in mind, we’re absolutely delighted to confirm that Woodbridge School’s former student Henry Dover still holds the all-time individual course record at this event of 10 mins and 50 seconds! 

But back to this year’s race – this year our athletes were presented to by, and shook hands with, Charlie Dobson who is a current GB sprinter and Olympic Bronze medallist and European champion in the 4x400m relay.  Charlie was also European Silver medallist for 400m in the European Champs 2024.  He gave a brilliant speech to the athletes about the trials of training, listening to advice along the way and learning from mistakes but mainly however hard it may seem to never give up on your dreams.  

Below you can see details for both the boys and girls relay races. 

54th Annual Boys Race 2026 

Woodbridge School entered a team of six and finished 11th overall out of 59 teams – that equals our third best result for the boys since we have been attending this event.  

Running Legs: 

• Year 13’s Angus – 12:11 
• Year 10’s Hamish – 12:37 
• Year 10’s Digby – 12:42 
• Year 11’s Jago – 13:49 
• Year 8’s Ollie – 13:50 
• Year 9’s Dex – 12:35 

Total time: 1:17:47 

26th Annual Girls Race 2026 

Woodbridge had two teams of four girls from the School. Our A team came in third place, gaining a Bronze medal each, plus the Pat Head trophy.  This is the second best result for the A team having previously had a team in 2nd place and three 4th places.  

Great news for the B team also who finished 11th which equals the School’s best ever result for our B team. 

Running Legs:  

Woodbridge A Team 

• Year 11’s Romilly – 14:30 
• Year 9’s Alexandra – 14:15 
• Year 9’s Ella – 14:27 
• Year 8’s Chloe – 14:02 

Total time: 57:15 

Woodbridge B Team 

• Alice Y10 – 15:04 
• India B  Y9 – 15:17 
• Sofia Y7 – 15:28 
• India J  Y9 – 14:31 

Total time: 1:00:22 

It is also worth noting that Woodbridge, unlike many of the other schools, only had one Sixth Former running, and therefore all our teams are very young competing against the best schools around the country.  We will surely grow with this event which should be exciting!  Congratulations to all our team members for a brilliant effort all round.  

The Anglian Schools Cross Country, Northampton 

Just two days after the King Henry VIII races, the Anglian Schools Cross Country in Northampton against Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire (last qualifier for the final English Schools Cross Country, 14 March). 

The course where all five counties gathered to compete against one another, was tough going at Northampton with undulating stretches with a long drag hill in the middle for everyone to battle their way up.  

We hit our target mark of 20 students from the School racing for Suffolk across the age groups.  It was a hugely successful day for Suffolk who won the whole event over all five competing counties, with two Woodbridge School runners taking two medals – Year 9’s Dex winning a very impressive Gold in the Junior Boys category and Year 8’s Chloe a fantastic Silver medal, a year young in the Junior Girls category.   

Suffolk won four out of the eight age/gender categories on the day which is testament to the training being put in by the athletes across the county many of whom gather at our inspiring community session on a Saturday morning.  

The main highlight though, was in the Junior Boys’ race where the Suffolk team came home in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places!  

Another great day out and now we look ahead to the English Schools where ten of our school athletes have qualified to run for Suffolk in their age group and four more are also short list reserves.  The final will be at Sephton Park in Liverpool on 14 March which will mark the end of our cross-country season!  

Individual results are shown below, and full online results can be found on the Suffolk Schools Cross Country website https://www.suffolkschoolsathletics.info/cross-country

Minor Girls: 

• Year 8’s Sofia – 4th  
• Year 6’s Ava – 15th  
• Year 8’s Florence – 34th 
• Year 7’s Issy – 59th 

Junior Boys:  

• Year 9’s Dex – 1st 
• Year 9’s Josh – 17th 
• Year 8’s Oliver L – 33rd  
• Year 9’s Olly R – 41st 
• Year 8’s Archie R – 49th 

Junior Girls: 

• Year 8’s Chloe – 2nd  
• Year 9’s Alexandra – 12th 
• Year 9’s India J – 14th  
• Year 9’s Ella – 15th  
• Year 9’s India B – 35th  

Inter Boys:  

• Year 10’s Hamish – 14th 
• Year 10’s Digby – 22nd 
• Year 11’s Jago – 44th  

Inter Girls:  

• Year 10’s Alice – 16th  
• Year 11’s Romilly – unfortunately, fell mid race and injured so was unable to finish on the day  

Senior Boys: 

• Year 13’s Angus – 13th