Report: 104th annual Grass Track Cycling Race

The weather finally relented and allowed us to have the 104th running of the Grass Track Cycling race on Wednesday 15 November. This race was first contested in 1919 with the first winner of the Norman Carter Challenge Cup being G. O. Hosking who completed the 2-mile race in 6 minutes 8 seconds.

An enthusiastic group of students from the School’s Cycling squad, ably supported by their respective coaches and peers watching from the steps underneath the Old Boys’ Pavilion, were joined by a few mountain bikers to do eight laps of the 400m track on the #1 field.

The Senior race started off at a furious pace with Form 5 student R. Y. Turnbull, Form 6 student J. A. J. Barclay and Captain of Cycling F. A. Malpass leading the pack. Unfortunately, Form 5 student C. P. Wagener had a temporary mechanical malfunction and ended up near the back of the field. Barclay managed to break away after the second lap and went on to win the Norman Carter Challenge Cup with a determined Wagener finishing in second place and Turnbull in third.

The Junior race followed a similar pattern with Form 5 student J. Kwon riding solo to win the Caulfield Millennium Cup with Form 4 students G. G. Pollard and E. D. Corbett finishing second and third respectively. It was a fantastic end to the 2023 Cycling season and special thanks go to Master in Charge J. Fry for his continued support of the squad.