Nine Clutha district schools - Romahapa, St Joseph's, Stirling, Lawrence, Warepa, Clinton, Kaitangata, Clutha Valley and Rosebank - took part in the first Blue Light Clutha Schools PCT competition.
Twenty teams of four competed at the Cross Recreation Centre in Balclutha.
The course is based on the police physical competency test and involves pushing a car trailer 10m, carrying a car wheel assembly, running 200m, walking a 5m right-angle beam 1m off the ground, jumping a long jump, running around cones and under and over hurdles, climbing through a 1m-high window, climbing over a solid 1.8m-high wall, dragging a 74kg ''body'' 7.5m, and climbing a 2.2m-high wire fence.
Pupils said the toughest tasks were the wall and fence climbs.
Balclutha Youth Aid officer Senior Constable Tanya Grant said all Clutha schools with years 7 and 8 pupils were invited to take part in the competition.
Each team of four was made up of two boys and two girls, with two year 7s and two year 8s.
Snr Const Grant said the competition was a good challenge for school pupils, and also gave an insight into what police did, and the importance of teamwork.
The top two teams were Clinton B, with a time of 3min 19.06sec, and Kaitangata 1, with 3min 32.56sec. These teams will have the option of competing in the South Island championships in Dunedin on September 30.
