Hastings Academy student wins county title

Isaac Elam won the year 10/11 intermediate boys’ race at the Waterhall Sports Fields in Brighton on Wednesday, last week.

As a result he has secured a place at the English Schools’ Finals and will represent Sussex as the county champion.

See also: * Hastings Athletic Club stages ‘best ever’ Sussex Championships* Adrian Gray secures PDC tour card* Hollington United triumph in high quality top two clashElam was in contention from the start of the race and with 800m to the finish, he had opened up a healthy lead over the second-placed runner. He went on to cross the line in a time of 20:36.

This is the second time since 2017 that the Hastings Athletic Club runner has won a Sussex schools’ title and his coach Terry Skelton said he had trained very well leading up to the event.

The intermediate boys’ race was one of six races, for runners aged 12 to 18, held over a challenging course in cold and wet conditions, and several other Hastings AC talents were among the competitors.

Also in the intermediate boys’ race, Carlos Nieto-Parr (Battle Abbey) came seventh in 21:29, Lewis Courtnage (St Leonards Academy) was 13th in 22:20 and Jonah Davies (St Leonards Academy) 16th in 22:36.

George Pool (Eastbourne College) was runner-up in the senior boys’ race in 25:14 and Ethan Hodges (Ark Sixth Form East Sussex) came 12th in 26:46.

Shannon Hopkins-Parry (Robertsbridge Community College) finished eighth in the intermediate girls’ race in 14:19 and Erika Body (St Richard’s Catholic College) was 16th in 15:04.

Harmony Cooper (Bexhill College) came seventh in the senior girls’ race, while in the junior girls’ event, Nancy Barlow (Claverham Community College) finished 26th in 13:09 and Maddie Brandt (Claverham) was 43rd in 14:00.