Young runners represent their county teams in high-class field

Brooke Evans, in the black Hertfordshire shirt, at the National Cross-Country Championships at the weekend.

The superbly-organised event hosted some 2,200 runners between the ages of seven and 12 from all over the country.

First off the mark for D&T were Brooke Evans and Milla Walsh in the Year 6 girls’ race, contested over 2500m.

Both girls ran strongly and scored for the Hertfordshire team, which finished in third position out of more than 40 county teams – giving Brooke and Milla well-deserved team bronze medals.

Brooke finished a brilliant 17th out of 252 Year 6 girls  in a time of 8.17, just 47  seconds off first place.

Milla, for her part, was 80th in 9.00 flat, well within the top third of the field.

In the Year 6 boys’ race, also held over 2500m, George Doyle was among the scorers for the Buckinghamshire team, finishing 72nd out of 260 boys in a time of 8.13.

The Year 7 girls were off next, tackling a slightly longer course of close to 4000m, and Amy Lane also scored for her Herts team, finishing a valiant 106th out of 177 girls in 12.42.

The Year 7 boys’ race was the final event of the day, and the two D & T entrants, Jude McKay and Tim Fryer, both finished within the top third of the field.

Jude, representing Herts, crossed the line in 11.16, good enough for 52nd position out of 168 boys and the fourth scoring position for Herts, while Tim was one second behind, in 54th position, and the second scorer for Bucks.