THE pace has been set in the Warrington Athletics Club Schools Cross Country League.

Almost 300 runners contested Saturday’s opening primary school races at Walton Hall Gardens in this popular annual series, with a further 70 featuring in the high-school events.

Eva Karalius (Broomfield) ran out the winner of the under 11s girls’ race in 5mins 01secs, finishing ahead of Eva Jha (St Philips) 5mins 13secs and Esme Heavey (Bradshaw) 5mins 18secs.

The team race was won by St Monicas on 51 points, with Cherry Tree second and St Peters third on 64pts each.

Jack Marwood (Ravenbank) was first home in the boys’ primary school race in 6mins 23secs. Hot on his heels were Tyreece Swinton (Broomfields) in 6mins 29secs and Ewen Wynne-Roberts (Statham) 6mins 39secs.

The team race was won by Ravenbank on 76pts from Broomfield, 86pts, and St Monicas, 88pts.

The minor girls’ race was won by Alice Nicholson (Great Sankey) as she clocked 7mins 18secs, with Corin Smith (Lymm) finishing in 7mins 25secs and Harriet Bell (Bridgewater) 7mins 32secs.

Beamont combined well to win the team race on 20 points, just edging out Bridgewater on 22 points.

Ben Norman (Bridgewater) was victorious in the minor boys’ race in 11mins 12 secs, just a second ahead of second-placed Rhys Brindley (Beamont) and three clear of Max Ryder (Lymm).

Beamont took a minor age group clean sweep by winning the team race on 28 points.

Culcheth’s Melissa Ince was the clear winner of the junior/intermediate girls’ race, stopping the clock at 10mins 10secs.

Eva Ferris (Lymm) and Molly Wormald (Great Sankey) were second and third respectively, with Eva’s time of 10mins 27secs just beating Molly’s 10mins 41secs.

Rebecca Nixon (Kings) came fifth in 11mins 11secs to win the intermediate race, while Great Sankey won both the junior and intermediate team races.

Lymm’s Erik Marshall clocked 9mins 24secs to comfortably win the boys’ junior/intermediate race, finishing ahead of Great Sankey pair Ben Pucill and Joe Weston, who won the intermediate race while Beamont claimed team honours.