Suffolk’s top young athletes, including the likes of Lewis Sullivan, Riby Vinton and Ben Peck, were in action at the annual Suffolk Schools Cross Country Area Championships, held at Royal Hospital School, Holbrook.
There were 14 races, with around 1,800 students in action, comprising the North & West (N/W) regions, and the Mid & South Suffolk (M/S) areas.
The first 50 from each race qualify for the next round, the 'A' race, which will be held on Saturday, November 30 at Ipswich High School in Woolverstone.
The leading finishers will get an opportunity to run for Suffolk Schools, firstly at the Anglian Championships and finally the English Schools, which will be held in Liverpool next March.
The highly-rated Lewis Sullivan, of Saint Edmund Pacers, won the junior boys' title at the English Schools last season, but has now moved up to the Intermediates, where competition will be tougher against many boys who will be a year older.
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At Holbrook, Sullivan, of Sybil Andrews Academy, won the N/W title in 15mins 54secs, followed by James Peck (Mildenhall) in 17:18 and Max Berry (King Edward VI).
In the Intermediate Girls' equivalent, Rebecca Morley (County Upper) was first in 14:15, ahead of the St Felix duo of Jil-Marie Flieger (14.23) and Poppy Branton (14.29).
Ben Peck won the N/W junior boys' crown, and Culford's Nellie Ong triumphed in the girls' race, from Thurston's Amelie Taylor.
The minor age group titles went to Bella Taylor (Gipping Valley) and Seb Melero (Thurston).
In the M/S half, Ruby Vinton (Woodbridge) was well clear in the junior girls' race in 11:24. Second went to Alexandra Bell-Cobbold (12:10) with Connie Davies third.
Henry Dover, also Woodbridge, lifted the junior boys' title in 13:36, just one second ahead of Hartismere's Liam Davison. Kesgrave's Ryan Grady was third.
Likewise, Woodbridge's April Hill (13:39) won the Intermediate race, finishing 27 seconds clear of team-mate Amy Goddard. The top three in the M/S Intermediate boys comprised Kit Evans Lombe (16:27), Ollie Hitchcock (16:35) and Freddie Adams (16:47).
The M/S minor races were won by Rose Jackson (Woodbridge) and William Marriot (Farlingaye).
In the all-encompassing seniors' race, James Pettersson led home the field in 17:56, ahead of Nathan Goddard (Woodbridge) in 18:47 and Will Lowden (Thurston) 19:08.
Twin sisters Millie and Maddie Jordan-Lee (Stowmarket) were first and second in the senior girls' event, setting the same time.
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