We assembled at the Headquarters at 8.45am. to organise ourselves and discuss tactics for the competition. We then travelled to a new venue for the annual district event namely Campbell Park in Central Milton Keynes.

Before we entered the names of the Cub Scouts in each of our teams to the organiser, Paul Swannell ADC, we discussed the make up of the two teams with our runners and the decision was made to enter 7 runners in Team A and 6 runners in Team B so that the B Team could qualify for a placing if all their team members completed the course.

The race started at 10.10.am. on a cold and windy day with the competitors following a ‘Hare’. The field soon strung themselves out over the grassy undulating course and about halfway problems were avoided when the ADC took over the front running when the ‘Hare’ had to drop out through exhaustion.

After the last of the runners had completed the course, scores recorded and placings calculated the ADC announced the placings in reverse order. The final placings gave 1st Olney with 126 points the Shield for the second year running followed by 4th Newport Pagnell 139 pts 2nd, 5th Newport Pagnell 150 pts 3rd, Stony Stratford 168 pts 4th and 1st Hanslope 173 pts 5th place. Our B Team came 13th which was the last position but the Leaders were very pleased with this effort as our Pack was the only one who had entered two teams and all 13 of our lads completed the course after giving their all in their efforts to win the shield.

We all retuned to Hanslope in good spirits after all our runners had enjoyed the event and certainly done their best.