Newquay were chosen as the location for the English Schools X-Country Final for the third time in 15 years and some of the Lions from Newquay Towan Blystra were delighted to help out as marshals.
On a blustery and wet day, with very muddy conditions, hundreds of children from all across the country descended on Newquay Sports Centre where representatives of Newquay Tretherras Academy, NQY Sports Centre and Newquay Road Runners had spent hours setting up a superb course. Their efforts were all the more commendable as, having set up dozens of portable toilets, barriers and safety zones on Friday, they arrived at 7am on Saturday, the day of the races, to find the wind had blown virtually everything over and had to be put back up.
Lions Patrick and Heater Stanley and Phil and Jill Bunt donned their cold weather kit and marshalled one of the main crossing points for the six races. Jill, president of the club said: “It was cold and wet but there were so many positive comments from people, young and old, organisers and competitors and their teachers. It was a pleasure to have been involved but those who spent so much time setting it all up deserve the real credit. A very good day and one which reflects well on Newquay – well maybe not the weather, but certainly the atmosphere!”