ONE of the highlights of the local schools sporting calendar will be staged in Aireville Park tomorrow when over 500 young athletes are expected to take part in the Harrogate-Craven Schools Cross-Country Championships.

For the Under 14, Under 16 and Senior age-groups, the event also represents the first stage of the road to the English Schools finals which will be held at Brighton in March.

First race on tomorrow's programme will be the Year 8 Girls' event, which starts at 9.30am.

Tomorrow week (November 30) brings another race of special note in the shape of the Aaron Memorial Races in Bodington Playing Fields at Lawnswood on the outskirts of Leeds.

This event was originally organised to honour the memory of a prominent Leeds athlete, Arthur Louis Aaron, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for valour in the World War Two.

After flourishing for over 50 years, however, the races, traditionally staged on the day before Remembrance Sunday, have suffered an erosion in interest as a result of numerous counter-attractions on that day.

This year, in an attempt to revitalise the event, the date has been switched to November 30, when it is hoped that a resurgence of interest and involvement will be forthcoming.

A full range of age-groups will be contested and although entries will be accepted on the day, the organisers are hoping that entries can be registered in advance through Greg Hull, 13 Granville Terrace, Yeadon, Leeds LS 19 7UW (01132 509670) or through Roger Ingham (01756 790408) to speed up the results process.

oTwo members of Skipton Athletics Club were in record-breaking form in the Burley Bridge Hike when they covered the 21-mile course - which included 2,300ft of climbing - in 2hrs 50 mins, nine minutes inside the previous best time.

Richard Barrett and Steve Sayer were the successful duo, the pair coming through the field in the second half of the race to claim their win.

The tough off-road course starts and finishes at Ben Rhydding and takes in Addingham High Moor, Riddlesden, Micklethwaite, White Crag Moss and Burley railway station.