MORE than 150 of the district's leading runners will be in action on the golf course circuit at Wanganui Collegiate this afternoon with the first of six races at the Whanganui Secondary Schools Cross-country Championship at 12.45pm.
Clashes with other events has meant no entries from Rangitikei College and Wanganui City College and only one from Wanganui Girls' College, the result of a similar clash. Even with these unfortunate absences there is a slight increase on last year, but it should be remembered that event was in Waiouru.
Not unexpectedly, the largest entry comes from the host school with 58 athletes entered through all the six grades with both 3 and 6 to score teams in each of the grades.
Wanganui High School has 3 to score entries in all grades and an impressive 10 starters in the Under 16 boys where they will strongly challenge the hosts in both the 3 and 6 to score sections.
Nga Tawa have 20 starters (single-sex school and therefore entered in only the three girls' grades). They have always supported such events well and clearly understand and subscribe to the team element of the sport with teams in both 3 and 6 to score sections in the 3 grades.