Primary Schools Cross Country Championships 2026

Date: Wednesday 18th March 2026 (reserve date - Thursday 26th March)

Time: 1.35-3.20pm  (First race starts at 2.05pm prompt)

Venue: Nobles Park, Douglas (Upper football pitches)

Course details
1,400 metres (just under 1 mile) - approximately. This will be 2 laps around the marked course.

Setting up of course
Ray Cox and Pete Lewis (with support)

HQ
Race Headquarters for scorers and toilets: Pavilion (Pre-booked)

Parking
Ample parking in main car park behind Grandstand off Glencrutchery Road

Toilets
By car park behind Grandstand, in the Pavillion and also in the park near the bowling green.

First Aid
St. John’s Ambulance will be in attendance.

Risk assessments
Pete Lewis 

Marshaling
SNHS sixth formers

Teams
Each school competing to provide 2 teams of up to 6 - one boys team/1 girls team (no reserves necessary).
Teams can be a mix of Y3, 4, 5, 6 for example.
As in previous years, we will be operating a system of the top 4 in each team to count. This means that schools who are struggling to bring 6 children for each team, can still enter.

Preparation for schools before the event

Once your team is finalised, please return to this site and go to the "Registration" tab. From there, you will be able to enter the names of all the competitors for your school. This opens on Friday 13th March at 01:00 am and closes at 7pm on Tuesday 17th March.

The timing system on the day will be an electronic system managed by manxtimingsolutions

This year, timing chips will be incorporated into A6 sized PVC bib numbers.

On arrival, please collect your block of numbers plus safety pins from the pavilion, plus your registration sheet, which details runner numbers. Write any name changes onto the sheet and return it.

The safety pins are bundled into sets of 4, but you will only need 3 per bib.

Make sure that any unused bibs are returned BEFORE the race. If they come near the finish line, they WILL record a time!

After each race, please collect the bibs from your runners, reattach the safety pins into bundles of 4 and return them to the helpers. Again, keep the bibs away from the finish line.

Thank you.

As a back-up; students from SNHS will be using an i-Pad to film the finish.

Starting arrangements:
Between 1.25pm and 1.40pm 
Children (with their team coaches) can walk the course to become familiar with the route and terrain (optional)

1.45pm
All team coaches to take their boys teams to starting area where Ray Cox will organise positions for each team.
Each child in a team stands behind one another in order of ability (to be decided by team coach beforehand).

1.50pm
Race briefing for boys race

2.05pm
Boys race begins on whistle

Repeat procedure for 2nd race (girls) starting at 2.20pm

2.40pm - Races over

Important!
One member of staff from each school is responsible for meeting their runners at the end, detaching bibs immediately from each pupil and then returning complete sets to the marshals in the centre of the field.
 
2nd member of staff to supervise the other team by the Pavillion.

Prize presentation at 2.55pm approx
Representation from the company providing sponsorship will be involved in presenting the prizes, as well as a well-known Manx athlete.

Scoring arrangements
Electronic timing system provided by Manx Timing Solutions and all information including race organisation and results will be available here on the Results tab.

Trophies 
• Individual winner for each boys and girls race
• Winning boys team
• Winning girls team
• Overall winning team

Certificates
All children taking part to receive a certificate. These are to be emailed to participating schools afterwards for them to print, copy and complete, or provided on the day by MSR as in previous years.

Entry fee:
TBC

Refreshments
No refreshments (including water) will be provided, so can all schools please bring their own food/drinks if needed.

Litter
Please can all schools bring a plastic bin bag to help remove all rubbish from the field before they depart.

Transport arrangements
Schools are encouraged to share transport with nearby schools.

Advertisement date for schools
January 2026

Last date for entry: Thursday 12th March 2026.

Organiser:
Pete Lewis (686633 / 401229 / peter.lewis@sch.im)

Course layout:
Ray Cox
PA System:
Danny Kneale (SNHS)

Chief marshall:
Ray Cox and SNHS students

Media:
IOM Newspapers

Race caller/PA:
Pete Lewis