SOUTH Lakeland youngsters taking part in the English Schools' Fell Running Championships did the area proud at the weekend.

Hundreds of pupils from schools throughout the north of England gathered at Calder High School, Mytholmroyd, for the championships.

Sedbergh School's Fraser Sproul (13-09) won the opening Year 7 race in style from Bradford Grammar School's Alex Flaherty (13-20) with Daniel Sanderson from The Queen Katherine School placing fourth. The girls' race saw Lilli Carr (14-52) of Skipton Girls School take the honours while Millom School's Emily Swarbrick (15-41) ran well to come third.

The best-placed South Lakeland runner in the Year 8-9 event was Ben Edmondson (22-10) from Coniston's John Ruskin School who was seventh in a race won by Barlby's Joshua Dickinson (21-22). Dallam School's Chloe Rylance (25-17) was second girl behind Bradfield School's Eve Crownshaw (24-12).

Joe Hudson (26-41) of The Skipton Academy won the Year 10-11 event with Giggleswick's Euan Brennan (29-21) turning in a gutsy performance to finish ninth.

Elliot Matier, of Penrith's Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, was a comfortable winner of the Year 12-13 event from Sedbergh School's Joseph Bird (34-53) and Chris Richards (35-27) of Kirkbie Kendal School. Hannah Russell (41-51), of The Queen Katherine School, Kendal, was third girl behind Olivia Sykes (40-50) and Erica Byram (41-36), both of Greenhead College.

Howgill's Heidi Dent set a new course record of 45-56 when winning the Orton Fell Race on Saturday. She was well clear of Keswick's Annabel Holmes (54-11) and Helm Hill's Carrie Gibson (55-00). The senior men's race was won by Borrowdale's Morgan Donnelly, of Dufton, in 40-29 from Keswick's Sam Stead (42-14).

The previous week Donnelly (1-59-18) had placed second in The Three Shires Fell Race from Little Langdale behind Ellenborough's Ricky Lightfoot (1-56-44) with Phil Davies (1-59-26), of Borrowdale, third. Ambleside's Ben Abdelnoor (2-00-57) was seventh with Helm Hill's Kieran Hodgson (2-03-31) finishing eighth. Dark Peak's Judith Jepson (2-23-39) was first lady from Totley's Heather Marshall (2-28-11) and Settle's Rachel Hill (2-30-00).