Almost 150 children took part in the Bradford Schools’ Cross-Country Championships at a soggy Northcliffe Park in Shipley.

The Championships, organised by the Bradford Schools’ Athletics Association (BSAA), was a qualifier for individual runners to represent Bradford Schools in the West Yorkshire Championships.

The eight individual race winners came from seven different schools, and pupils from 12 schools qualified to represent Bradford at Silcoates on Saturday, February 6.

In the Year Seven races, Emile Cairess (Bradford Grammar) ran to victory in 9min 56sec ahead of Keiren Suddards who represented a Tong School team managed by Wharfedale Harrier Gareth Hird.

Cairess’s win was not enough for Bradford Grammar in the team race, however, as they missed out by six points to Ilkley Grammar, who dominated a close Year Seven girls’ race with a clean sweep of Rose Hagen, Lucy Williamson and Georgia Malir, who finished within ten seconds of each other.

In the junior events, James Hall, of Bingley Grammar, was a clear winner from Josh Ferguson (Oakbank), with Parkside School taking the team prize.

In the girls’ race, Bradford Grammar were again thwarted by Ilkley in the team contest, despite Abby-Mae Parkinson and Natalie Brown finishing first and second.

Josh Eastwood (Beckfoot) finished second in the intermediate boys’ between the Oakbank pairing of Jack Thorp and Joe Moses, with Oakbank taking the team prize.

Rosie Hellawell (Holy Family) was an impressive 94 seconds clear in the intermediate girls’ race.

The senior events were less well supported but that will have made no difference to race winners Francis Mpofu (Bradford Academy) and Holly Craig (Salts Grammar).

Full results are available at BSAA.org.uk.