YOUNGSTERS from the district braved the cold snap last weekend to compete in the Northern Schools’ Inter-Counties Cross Country.

And they excelled in various age categories at the event, which took place at a chilly Temple Park in South Shields, involving runners from Northumberland, Cumbria, Durham, and North Yorkshire.

Northumberland dominated the junior boys’ race, occupying the top four positions.

The race was won by Josh Blevins (14m 56s), second was Zak Old (15m 19s), Oliver Douglass was third in 15m 24s, while William Collinson was fourth with a time of 15m 28s. A run of 15m 42s earned sixth place for Ryan Davies, while Marcus Laws was 12th with a run of 15m 54s.

Their efforts saw Northumberland win the junior boys’ team prize.

Charlie Daley continued his eye-catching form in 2019, with a solid run in the intermediate boys’ race.

He finished eighth with a time of 17m 47s.

Ben Waterfield (18m 23s), and Ethan McGlen (18m 24s), were 16th and 17th respectively.

Representing Durham, Slaley’s Daniel Joyce was 21st with a time of 18m 29s.

It was also a good day for Northumberland in the senior boys’ race, with Ross Charlton (22m 46s) winning, and Josh Fiddaman (23m 0s) finishing third.

Patrick Donald (23m 8s) was sixth, while Daniel Melling (23m 26s) and Charlie McMillan (23m 34s) were top 10 finishers.

Representing Cumbria, Reuben Copley was eighth with a time of 23m 15s.

Northumberland finished top of the senior boys’ table.

In the minor boys’ race, Jonny Johansen was the highest placed Northumberland runner, finishing 17th with a time of 11m 2s.

In the junior girls’ race, Northumberland’s Millicent Breese was the winner with a time of 10m 16s.

Abigail Leiper (11m 3s) was 15th, and Holly Waugh (11m 7s) 19th, out of a 71-strong field.

Northumberland’s Holly Peck (16m 27s) was second in the intermediate girls’ race, with Ines Curran (16m 40s) fifth.

Kate Salthouse (17m 22s), and Rhiannon Hedley (17.23), were 16th and 17th respectively, while Rosie Hughes (17m 45s) secured a top 20 place.

In the senior girls’ race, Rhian Purves was fourth with a time of 16m 57s, while Chloe Wellings (17m 40s) was 10th.

Hannah Wightman was sixth in the minor girls’ race with a time of 11m 26s. Poppy Old (11m 50s) came in 12th, while there were top 20 places for Tabitha Robson (12m 05s), and Lilia Purvis (12m 6s).