Young South Tyneside athelets compete for English Schools Cross Country Championships qualification

Junior, intermediate and senior girls and boys contest six events as the borough runners oppose another nine areas of Durham.

The winners of each race will be provisionally selected for the teams of eight.

Jessica Leslie should be prominent in the intermediate girls race at 12.15 pm.

Amelia Leslie will also be in contention, like her younger sister, going for gold in the senior girls race at 10.55am.

Katie Wood takes her chance in the junior girls at 11.40am.

The year seven girls open the programme at 10.25am but these, and the year seven boys at 10.40am, are not included in the nationals.

Changing, registration and the presentation are in Barnard Castle School.

No parking is allowed at the school with Bowes Museum used instead.

Suzanne Gutcher finished a resounding winner of South Shields Harriers Winter Yacht Handicap in midweek.

Over the Bents Park course of 3.5 miles, Gutcher, off her mark of 10.40 minutes, was 36 seconds clear of Max Tyrie with Kim Lancaster in third.

Mark Smith in fifth recorded the fastest time of 20:492.

Nicole McIlvaney, aged 15, moved up to 14th with the fastest female time of 22:58.

Abbey Jones won the junior race over 1.2 miles from Jake Jones.

Claire O’Callaghan was second in 12th with 23;04 from Frances Dembele in 13th with 23:38.

Nathan Iredale was the fastest with 6:44 from Ryan Stewart 14th in 6:46 with Daniel Waugh 13th in 7:15.

Katie Wood was the fastest girl in 16th with 7:25 from Leah Bradwell 19th in 7:40 and Rosie O’Brien fourth in 7:43.

Park Runs continue on Saturday at South Shields, Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, Whitley Bay, Chester le Street and Durham. All races are over 5km at 9am.