Cross Country
Appealing to every age and ability, supporting overall health and fitness, long distance running encourages trust, respect, team ethos and positive mindset, encouraging mental and physical wellbeing. With success at county, regional and national events since the introduction of Cross Country at Woodbridge, as a School we compete with the very best endurance runners in England.
Building stamina, persistence and success
It’s not only about ability, it’s about effort, which in turn supports the development of stamina and persistence – two key factors required to be successful as a Cross Country runner. The mental, emotional and physical benefits of long-distance running are well documented and acknowledged, but we also know students can benefit from the opportunity Cross Country running provides to improve learning ability by sharpening memory and focus, as well an encouraging and improving commitment and consistency.
Training and clubs
Training sessions for all ages take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday throughout the year, even in the holidays – these are age, level and distance appropriate, designed to suit Year groups and abilities.
Introduced to Woodbridge in 2012, the School’s running club is also open to runners from Year 3 through to Sixth Form, also attracting members of the local community, and as far away as Bury St Edmunds. A completely inclusive sport, the Cross Country is hosted in the School grounds, providing the perfect environment for runners.
Competing for Woodbridge
Through training and our running club, athletes are identified and matched with appropriate competitive events; with blocks of training and coaching, the School’s running coach Elisa Bostock, encourages and supports students throughout selection and training. As a runner himself, Elisa recognises the attributes and skills required as well as the benefits and opportunities that Cross Country can offer our students. Competing at all levels, Woodbridge has had success at a number of national, regional and county events.
School success
We have had a dedicated running group since 2012, which sits alongside every other sport on offer at School.
Athletes from Woodbridge compete regularly at county and national Cross Country events, and our success to date has been nothing short of remarkable. From consecutive wins to representing our School, county and country, Woodbridge has achieved significant success at some of the sport’s top events.
With less than 600 students at Woodbridge School at any given time, the level of success is tremendous, especially given that not every student takes part.
English Schools Cross Country
Our athletes first made the National Finals in 2016, and since then we have had an additional team make the Finals every year; only the top 27 schools in England make the Finals in each age group.
- 2025: English Schools National Final
- Woodbridge School had teams in three of the six age group races, an achievement which in itself matches a best ever for the School
- Junior Girls – Team Gold – National Champions
- Junior Boys – Team Gold – National Champions
- Individual Gold Year 9’s Dex – achieving English Schools Vest
- Senior Boys – 16th place (27th in 2024)
- 2025: English Schools Cup Regional Round
- Inter Girls – 2nd place, Silver
- Inter Boys – 8th place
- 2023: Senior Girls – 9th place
- 2023: Woodbridge School hosted the ESAA National Finals
- Woodbridge was the only School in Suffolk to qualify for the finals
- Junior Boys and Junior Girls both achieved 4th team place overall
- Year 8’s Digby finished in 4th place individually in the Junior Boys race
As of 2026, the total number of students that had achieved their English Schools Vests was ten – and counting!
Suffolk Schools Cross Country
January 2026 – Suffolk Cross Country County Championships
- U11s – one girl and three boys competed, all four achieved top 10, with a Gold medal for our U11 girl
- U13s – Gold and Silver medals
- U15 Girls – 3rd, 4th and 6th places achieved – securing qualification for Suffolk County teams
- U15 Boys – 1st, 3rd, 6th and 10th places achieved – qualifying to run for Suffolk
- U17 Women – 3rd Bronze medal – going through to Inter Counties
- U20 Men – Silver medal – going through to Inter Counties
February 2024 – annual Anglian Inter County Schools Cross Country Championships
- 22 of our students represented Suffolk
- Suffolk was crowned Anglian Schools Champion once again
- Taking four of the eight team victories, alongside two 2nd and two 3rd places, Suffolk athletes won eight of the 24 individual medals
- Three of those medals were won by Woodbridge School athletes, two Gold and one Bronze
Suffolk Schools Cross Country Trials 2025
- Six medals
- Year 7’s Sofia, Year 8’s Chloe, Year 9’s Alexandra and Dex, Year 10’s Digby and Year 11’s Romilly
- Twenty athletes now in contention for Suffolk selection for Anglian Schools Cross Country
- Ten could also be in contention for Suffolk Selection for English Schools
Anglian Schools Cross Country 2026
20 athletes represented Suffolk, winning two individual medals, this is the seventh consecutive year that Woodbridge has won individual medals at this event.
Year 9’s Dex – Gold in Junior Boys category
Year 8’s Chloe – Silver in Junior Girls category
English Schools Cross Country 2026
Nine Woodbridge School students competing as part of Suffolk team.
Year 9’s Dex finished in 7th place – selected to represent Great Britain (England Vest) at SIAB Home International, Bangor, Wales
King Henry VIII School Relays Race 2026
Boys Race – 11thout of 59 teams – our third best results since began attending this event
Girls Race – A team 3rd place, Bronze medals and Pat Head trophy, B team – 11th place, equalling School’s best ever results for B team
UK Inter County and English National Cross Country
Most years as many as ten students compete at these national events for their club and county; past success includes an Inter County win.
2026: UK Inter County
- Across nine teams, Woodbridge School had twelve representatives and nine of our runners contributed to being in the top four scorers of their age groups
- Nine students went through to compete for Suffolk Schools at English Schools Cross Country Championships
Individual Achievements
Our top athletes have achieved the following:
- Year 9’s Dex awarded England Vest 2026
- Individual winner in the U13 Girls UK Inter County Cross Country
- Individual winner in the U17 Boys National Cross Country and Bronze in the U17 UK Inter Counties
- Individual winners in the London Mini Marathon
- Endurance athletes at English Schools Track and Field every year since 2017, with individual Gold and three other finals over the years
- Individual Silver and 5that English Schools Cross Country
- Year 13’s Henry’s phenomenal success:
- 6th fastest U20 runner representing GB for the first time at European Cross Country Championships 2023, Brussels – team Silver medal
- Winner U20 European Cross Country Trials 2023, Sefton Park, Liverpool – awarded first GB vest
- Top 10 at English Schools Cross Country, making the English Schools team but missing the International through illness
- Winner Inter Boys 1500 at English Schools
- Winner SIAB International Inter Boys 1500 in Belfast, setting a meeting record
- Winner U17 English National 3000m, breaking a record that had stood for 42 years
- Ran an 8:15 for U17 3000m to take 5th on the UK all-time list – with the name in 6th on that list now Sir Mo Farah
- Winner London Mini Marathon
- Opened 2023 winning the U17 National Cross Country
- Bronze at UK Inter Counties Cross Country – and team Gold!
Connections
As well as building relationships with event organisers around the country, the School has links to Suffolk Schools Athletics and Suffolk County Athletics, as well as relationships with a number of clubs, including those locally in Suffolk.
Event hosting
The School team successfully hosts two to three major events each year. These can include a round of the English Schools Cup, the final Suffolk Schools Trial, the Anglian Schools Final and the English Schools Final. It is an amazing achievement, that has taken years of commitment and hard work; we’re exceptionally proud to host events in our grounds.
Meet the staff
Elisa Bostock
Endurance Running Coach
Responsible for developing the endurance running program at Woodbridge School, Elisa plans and delivers weekly training sessions for students competing in cross-country, road races, and track. Holding regular meetings with students and parents, she helps set goals, choose races, and balance sport with academics and other commitments. Assisting with the preparation of races, particularly hosting, Elisa oversees course building and event organisation alongside Mark and the School’s Head of Athletics Alison Scahill.
Her passion for running began at age nine under Mr Staziker at The Abbey, competing for Suffolk and nationally, Elisa won multiple titles with Ipswich Harriers and trained with Olympic athletes at St. Mary’s University. Studying sports science and massage deepened her interest in running form and injury prevention. Commenting on her return to Woodbridge, she shared, “It feels like coming home. My daughter and I joined community sessions, inspired by the thriving running culture Mark Goddard built, now attracting over 50 participants weekly. My goal is to sustain and grow his legacy, making Woodbridge a regional and national hub for middle-distance running. I am passionate about keeping young people engaged in sport for their health, wellbeing, and life skills.”
English Schools Cross Country Championships 2026 – England Vest for Year 9’s Dex
UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships 2026
Suffolk Schools Cross Country – Final Trial 2026
Medals and Qualifications for Woodbridge School in Two Cross Country Events
Want to see for yourself?
In addition to our open days, we welcome visits from parents and children looking for the right foundation for life ahead. We’ll be happy to show you around and answer any questions you have about our School, staff and the support we offer our students.