Photo above – Flora Currie the overall winner of the Boxing Day Pudding Race
Currie wins Boxing Day event
Although Tonbridge Athletic Club could not hold their traditional Boxing Day run with the usual handicap system, they were able to at least stage an event for some of their younger members.
In normal circumstances, the run is a handicap race run over five kilometres, for all age groups, but this year exceptional rules were applied. Currently organised sport is only permitted for under 18s and also the club had to avoid the risk of too many runners being in close proximity for periods of time. So, a ‘reverse handicap’ took place, with the likely fastest runners starting first and the ‘handicaps’ subsequently taken from their actual times.
Thirty-three competitors took part with Josh Prendergast (u15) running the fastest actual time of 17.37 over the muddy course, at Judd School’s Vizards Sports Fields. Not far behind was Huxley Crush (u17) with 17.54 and Henry Bretz (u17) 17.58. Lily Slack was the fastest of the girls in 19.42, from Sophie Preston (u17) 20.30 and Sophie Slack (21.23).
With the heavy rain over the previous few days slowing times, only four runners beat their set target times, to fill the first places in the competition. Flora Currie (u20) won with a time of 21.46, which was 44 seconds quicker than expected. Jamie MacDonald (u17) ran 18.27, which was 29 seconds better than predicted, with under 11s, Zara Greeves (23.11) and Noah Rocks (27.17) also doing well.
The competition calendar for Tonbridge members, as with so many sports, is generally in disarray currently, with progress dependent on an easing of the current guidelines.