It started off with pouring rain, but by afternoon the skies had cleared, giving way to sun-soaked trails and some of the Island’s best high school runners.

More than 440 athletes gathered at Beaver Lake for the 2025 Island High School Cross Country Championships, hosted by Oak Bay High.

The senior boys field, the largest of the day with 152 runners, saw Dover Bay Secondary’s Rhys Beaudoin claim gold with a time of 16:55, pulling away from Highland Secondary’s Finlay Boggan to seal his Island title.

“I’m feeling great,” said Beaudoin, a Grade 12 student. “It’s always nice coming back here. This is my third time racing at Beaver Lake, so I know the course pretty well. It’s a fun one.”

Beaudoin said he made his decisive move on the final lap of the five-kilometre loop.

“I was neck and n

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