Young athletes battle it out for English area 5km titles

Sutton Park, Redcar and Milton Keynes saw teenage runners in action over the weekend

NORTH OF ENGLAND Young Athletes 5km CHAMPIONSHIP, Redcar, North Yorkshire, March 29

Daniel Watson, who was third in the Northern Cross Country Championship, led a more than is usual strong field in the under-17 men’s race with a 30-metre win over Jamie Barber.

The North Shields Poly teenager won in 15:48, a few seconds outside his best.

The under-17 women’s field was much smaller and saw a win for Salford’s Jasmine Wright in 18;14.

It was a similar story in the under-15 girls’ event but Gabrielle Pinder, the English National champion was a stand-out winner in 17:35, while Northern silver medallist Adrian White won a close under-15 boys’ race in 16;15.

The North did not run an under-13 event.

U17 Men: 1 D Watson (NSP) 15:48; 2 J Barber (Salf) 15:56; 3 E Wilkinson (K&C) 15:57

TEAM: 1 Keighley & Craven 37; 2 N Shields Poly 47; 3 Gateshead 57

Daniel Watson (David Hewitson)

U15 Boys: 1 A White (Traff) 16:15; 2 K Sridhar (Darl) 16:18; 3 W Delamere (S’port S) 16:24

TEAM: 1 Darlington 21; 2 Wallsend 33; 3 Halifax 47

Jasmine Wright (Salford Harriers and AC) wins the womens under-17s 5k, 2025 Northern 12 and 6 Stage Road Relays and Junior 5k, Redcar. Photo: David T. Hewitson/Sports for All Pics

U17 women: 1 J Wright (Salf) 18:14; 2 H Stead (B’hill) 18:35; 3 R Thistlewood (Wake) 19:35

TEAM: 1 Salford 25; 2 K&C 26; 3 Chester-le-Street 35

U15 girls: 1 G Pinder (N Marske) 17:35; 2 R Murphy (Liv) 18:08; 3 I Tutt (Wake) 18:44

TEAM: 1 City of York 35; 2 Blackburn 38; 3 Tyne Bridge 60

MIDLANDS 5km YOUNG ATHLETES CHALLENGE, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, March 29

Mansfield Harriers picked up four of the six young athletes titles over a 5km loop, with Jacob Nugent, who had a 15:06 timing over the distance in Armagh in February, finding 15:52 enough here.

Team-mate Evie Clifton was the fastest of all of the younger girls and her 17:35 went seventh on the UK all-time under-13 listings.

Luke Downing has graduated from parkruns to mainstream races but, here, his under-13 5km victory in 17:08 was his first race on the roads

Jacob Nugent (Martin Duff)

U17 Men: 1 J Nugent (Mansf) 15:52; 2 E Holden (Mansf) 16:11; 3 A Taylor (Hales) 16:17

TEAM: 1 Mansfield 13; 2 Tipton 30; 3 Halesowen 35

U17 5km start (Martin Duff)

U15 Boys: 1 J Pares (Mansf) 17:07; 2 F Byrne (Swin) 17:10; 3 F McAllister (R’cliffe) 17:13

TEAM: 1 Mansfield 24; 2 BRAT 36; 3 RSC 36

U15 5km start (Martin…