Invigorating exercise in beautiful countryside makes cross country an attractive pursuit for our pupils – and we have an impressive track record in all competitions.
There is a strong tradition of cross country running at Uppingham, and our pupils achieve considerable success in county, regional and national competitions. Cross country is a popular option with boys and girls, and up to 90 runners take part each year over the autumn and spring terms.
The opportunity to run in the picturesque Rutland countryside adds to the appeal of the sport. Our regular training runs take in the beautiful Evebrook reservoir, while the six-mile ‘mad horse’ run is a favourite with pupils. For our elite runners, we provide additional strength and conditioning coaching sessions, as well as more demanding hill training.
One of the highlights of the school’s sporting year is ‘The Routh’ – our inter-house cross country championships held in the last week of the spring term. All Uppinghamians and many staff take part in this challenging five-mile run.
Coaching
Tom Davies oversees the cross-country activities, with support from nine other members of staff.
Facilities
We hold regular training sessions throughout the week, with run distances ranging from two to six miles. All training runs enable pupils to familiarise themselves with and enjoy the local countryside.
Competitions
The East Midlands League provides fixtures for schools in the region. Uppingham teams do very well in this league, with regular top-three finishes and a number of league wins in recent years. We’ve also recorded consistent wins in the individual category of the same league.
Pupils compete in a range of local competitions too, such as the Bedford, Nottingham and Leicester 5k runs – as well as achieving some impressive half marathon performances.
Our boys’ and girls’ teams perform strongly at the County Championships, and represent the school in national competitions – including the South East Schools Championships at Harrow. Each year we typically send up to five pupils to represent Leicestershire and Rutland at the National Cross Country Finals.