Award of the George Cross to Malta from capitulating as Singapore had done in the Battle of Singapore. Harrods flew the Maltese flag at the world-renowned store, marking Malta's 70th anniversary as a George Cross Island from the 1 to 28 March 2012. Award of the George Cross to Malta The George Cross was awarded to the island of Malta by King George VI in a letter to the island's Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie, so as to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" during the great siege they underwent in the early part of World War II. Italy and Germany besieged Malta,
Cross country running with larger fixtures organized through BUCS. Primary schools, although more often the juniors, also participate in cross country events and some areas of England have done so since the late 1960s. An example would be schools near Ouston, County Durham which compete as part of Chester-le-Street & District Primary Cross Country Association. USA Track & Field hosts four annual national cross country championships. The USA Cross Country Championships, first held in 1890, include six races: masters women (8 km), masters men (8 km), junior women (6 km), junior men (8 km), open women (8 km) and open men (12 km).