Friday 13th March 2026 proved to be anything but unlucky for our TPS runners from Year 3 to Year 8 as they travelled to Blundell’s School for the Larkman Cup. The weather delivered all four seasons — from freezing snow and rain to glorious sunshine just in time for the races.

The U9 Girls opened the day, with several athletes making their cross-country debuts. All ran with great determination, with strong performances from Flobo and Gigi, while Megan and Amelie showed their experience throughout. The U9 Boys followed with a dominant start. Austin, Monty, Ben and Charlie formed four of the leading six runners, with Guilhem close behind. Their order remained consistent, with Monty claiming gold, Ben securing silver, Austin finishing 4th and Charlie 5th — earning the team a well‑deserved gold medal.

Next up were the U11 Girls, where Lydia continued her excellent form from Malvern, pushing to the front early and finishing a brilliant 2nd. Otilie, Kemi and Maddie all finished inside the top 25, narrowly missing out on the team win to a strong Mount Kelly side. The U11 Boys maintained the high standard. Rupert impressed again, keeping pace with the lead group despite being a younger athlete. Nicholas and Viaan worked superbly together around the fast course, with Angus also running strongly. Rupert finished 4th, with all TPS runners placing in the top 25.

The consistently outstanding U13 Girls continued their excellent season. Erin joined the lead pack early, with Olivia, Cate, Meredith and India forming a tight group just behind. Erin finished 4th, and all girls placed within the top 20, securing a close 2nd place behind a strong King’s team. Finally, the U13 Boys rose to the challenge. Noah ran a tactically brilliant race, pulling away on the second lap to take 1st place. George continued his impressive progression to finish 3rd, while Saul and Charlie — in their final prep school race — placed 4th and 6th respectively. Ben also finished inside the top 15, securing the team’s second gold medal of the day.

With consistently high results across all age groups, Taunton Prep School were crowned overall winners, proudly taking home the Larkman Cup — a fantastic finale to the cross‑country season.