On the 17th and 18th June 2023, 850 runners from 134 different schools gathered in Palmerston North for the 49th NZSS Cross Country Championships.

The course was based at the Massey University Campus and started on a rugby field before transitioning into undulating farmland broken up by obstacles such as logs and hurdles. This made for a tough course and required nimble footwork over some uneven ground, with the senior girls completing two 2km laps for a total of 4km during the individual race on Saturday.

Kate Currie placed 7th in the Senior Girls’ run and was thus automatically selected for the New Zealand team which is such a wonderful achievement. The New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Athletics Association is proposing to take this representative team to the Australian Schools’ Cross Country Championships in Canberra, ACT in August 2023.

On the 18th June we ran two 1km loops for the regional relays, with each team consisting of four people, completing 8km total. Overall, the weekend had some extremely tough competition but more importantly was very rewarding and lots of fun! 

Kate Currie, and Mrs Hayley Burson