THE weather was fair for the third round of the East Series Cross Country Championships organised by Disability Sport Fife in partnership with Fife Athletic Club on behalf of Scottish Athletics and Scottish Disability Sport at the Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy on Thursday and Lochgelly High School competitors were prominent.

LHS's Leah Ford was the fastest girl in the 1k while Georgie Hodge was also impressive.

Once again Kirkcaldy Rugby Club provided facilities for registration and officials. The course was magnificently planned and superbly marshalled by a large team of volunteer officials and stewards from Fife AC.

The event was well underway by 11am with the 8th GOGA in Fife Walk in the Park.

Some 36 juniors and adults registered on this occasion, plus a significant number of support staff and significant others.

Every successful participant had their GOGA in Fife walk certificate signed or a new one issued if this was their first group walk. Walking is a core activity of the Get Out Get Active movement in Fife. Walks in the Park offer GOGA in Fife walkers the opportunity to come together in relaxed, friendly and fun inclusive active recreation.

A highlight of the Fife leg of the East Series was the number of pupils entered from Cedarbank School in Lothian, plus the first appearance of athletes from the Royal Blind School.

Fife DSF was pleased to welcome back to the event pupils from Woodlands School and Auchmuty HS had pupil representation for the first time as a consequence of the GOGA in Fife Action for Change programme.

There was as always a strong representation from Lochgelly HS, Balwearie HS, Bell Baxter HS, Madras College and Woodmill HS.

In the adult sections Central Fife CSS was represented for the first time and West Fife Community Support Services returned with a much larger number of athletes than last year. Fife AC athletes also turned out in significant numbers. In all 150 athletes registered but on the day several Lothian schools were unable to participate. All three other races in the East Series cross country championships are held at Peffermill in Edinburgh and the fourth and final 2018/2019 East Series event is scheduled for Tuesday 26th February. The Fife and Scottish Championships will follow thereafter.

Fife athletes did particularly well in Series 3 and their performances will be considered along with those recorded in the previous and final rounds to determine the overall year/age group winners of 2018/2019. Individual section/race winners were as follows: 500m S1 Zoe McNulty - Balwearie HS - 2.34 fastest girl, S2 Aailyah Black - Bell Baxter HS, S4 Karen Munro - Balwearie HS, S5 Mary Nutman - Balwearie HS, Senior women Christine Burns - Central Fife CSS. S1 Thomas Quigg – Bell Baxter HS, S2 David Norry – Bell Baxter HS, S3 Shaun Carter – Balwearie HS 2.20 fastest boy, S4 Brodie Stevenson – Madras College, S5 Mark Phimister – Balwearie HS, S6 Ian Stephen – Balwearie HS.

1K S1 Georgie Hodge – Lochgelly HS, S2 Leah Ford - Lochgelly HS 4.53 fastest girl, S3 Sophie Coughlin - Bell Baxter HS, S4 Amy Dignan – Lochgelly HS, S5 Megan Wilson – Woodmill HS, Senior women Nikki Baxter – West Fife CSS. Senior men Liam McIntyre – West Fife CSS 3.59. S1 Keir Fisher – Auchmuty HS, S2 Jack Hanly – Bell Baxter HS, S3 Ben Murphy – Woodmill HS, S4 Ryley Anderson – Woodmill HS, S4 Joe Carberry – Royal Blind school, S5 Adam Montague – Lochgelly HS, S6 Connor Brown – Woodmill HS physically impaired/fastest boy 3.52, S6 Arran Howe – Bell Baxter H.S

2K S6 Jennifer Grist – Balwearie HS – fastest girl 12.11, S2 Max Rundle – Madras College, S3 Callum Nicoll – Madras College, S4 Edwin Barron – Woodmill HS fastest boy 8.59, S5 Jason Rennie – Lochgelly HS, S6 Callum Robertson – Balwearie HS, Senior men Ryan Spearman Fife AC 9.54.

3K S5 Colin Wightman – Cederbank fastest boy 16.35, Senior men Owen Miller – Fife AC 9.42, Carter Taylor - Fife Ac 11.28.