FOUR promising Tynedale Harriers were in action on a national stage as the English Schools Track and Field Championships headed North.

Max Pearson, Jack Colmer, Alex Wood and Ellen Ricketts all represented Northumberland with great aplomb in the event, held at Gateshead International Stadium.

Competing in his first year as an intermediate boy, Year 10 pupil Max qualified for the final of the 1500m against a strong field all from the year above. Posting fourth in his heat to automatically gain a starting place in the final, he finished 10th in a tactical and, at times, physical race.

Carrying an injury sustained the week before, Jack shrugged off the pain to record a personal best distance of 13m in the intermediate boys‘ triple jump to finish eighth overall.

In the junior boys’ category, Alex Wood narrowly missed out on a place in the final of the 800m as his third place in his heat was just shy of the qualification, which is still a great achievement in his first big championship competition.

Ellen, meanwhile, put in a strong and determined finish in an exceptionally strong heat in the junior girls‘ 800m but was unable to progress after finishing in eighth.

The strength of the competition was illustrated in this race as Derby runner Tilly Simpson recorded a new championship record of 2:06.22.

While out of the medals, the local athletes can be proud of the achievement of qualifying for such a prestigious event.

They joined in with the off-track festivities too as Jack was chosen to carry the Northumberland flag. The honour of leading all the athletes out carrying the English Schools Athletics banner bestowed on hot prospect Max.