Buntingford’s Edwinstree School played host to the seventh annual North East Herts Schools’ Cross Country Championships for Years 7 and 8.

In a well-organised and popular event, the hosts welcomed Royston middle schools Greneway, Roysia and Ware school Ralph Sadleir to participate.

The Year 7s ran 4000m and Year 8s took part in the 5000m in hot cross-country conditions.

Many pupils smashed their PBs for the distances with Katie Thompson (Year 8 girls) and Harry Hatton (Year 8 boys) winning gold in their races.

There was a gutsy silver medal for Maya Warburton in the Year 8 girls, Jamie-Lee Currie (Year 7 girls) and Jack Beber (Year 7 boys) while a well-deserved bronze was achieved by Max Reader (Year 8 boys).

In the team competitions, Greneway finished top in three of the four competitions.

Greneway assistant headteacher and head of PE, Terry Graves, said: “The whole experience was definitely character-building for these runners on a challenging course and in very warm conditions.

“We were privileged to see so many young people working so hard for each other and living the olympic and paralympic values.”

Results: Team event: Year 7 girls: Edwinstree (1st), Greneway (2nd), Ralph Sadleir (3rd), Roysia (4th); Year 7 boys; Greneway (1st), Edwinstree (2nd), Ralph Sadleir (3rd), Roysia (4th); Year 8 girls: Greneway (1st), Ralph Sadleir (2nd) Edwinstree (3rd), Roysia (4th); Year 8 boys: Greneway (1st), Edwinstree (2nd), Ralph Sadleir (3rd), Roysia (4th).

Greneway teams: Year 8 girls: Katie Thompson, Maya Warburton, Lydia Webb, Susie Haslam, Kathryn Davies, Ellie Wright, Beau Freeman, Natalie Prior.

Year 8 boys: Harry Hatton, Lucas Blackwell, Max Reader, Alex Conn, Owen Maslen, Jacob Schroeder, Ewan Morgan, Sam Fage.

Year 7 girls: Jamie-Lee Currie, Rose Ball, Emer McAuliffe, Natasha Todd, Louise Mindell, Eryn Sherratt, Emily Warner, Caitlin Walker.

Year 7 boys: Jack Beber, Daniel Minion, Ishmael Nabi, Thomas Penny, Matthew Depetrillo, Edward Daniels, Jamie Smith, Dominic Jaunzens.