DESPITE the current lockdown in the sports world, a young Cumbrian athlete was victorious at recent competition.

Runner Fraser Sproul, Sedbergh, has beaten out more than 2000 teenage runners who defied the fears of the Coronavirus in Liverpool.

The member of Kendal Amateur Athletics club triumphed at the 2020 English Schools Cross Country Championships.

Fraser said: “When I sat down with my coach at the start of this XC season we targeted this race. I have enjoyed success in a few key races this year leading up to English Schools Championship, including The Northern and Nationals running in U17 boys.

“To win this key race is my best win over the years. We were lucky to get the race in before all sport was cancelled on the Monday, including the Home International which was scheduled for the following Saturday when I would have represented England.

“This is obviously a very prestigious event; it’s always been in my bucket list to try and win this event. Cumbria already had a victory today, so I felt the pressure to get them another".

Fraser is also a fell runner but considers cross country to be his main passion.

The ground on the day of the race was very thick and muddy, but Fraser was able to strive through and come first.

This makes Fraser only the second Cumbrian male to win. The last athlete to win was in 1982.

Fraser was able to break away from Louis Small of Kent in the finishing straight. He also beat English schools 2018 winner Woody Jerome and Inter-counties champion Lewis Sullivan.

On the same day, Cumbria also came back with another gold medal, as well as a silver medal.

Some of the athletes who won their races did not know they had won until 10 minutes after the end of their races.

The New Balance-sponsored meeting at Sefton Park in Liverpool was held on March 14 featured six highly competitive races full of drama.

The county having two Golds and a silver was the best results Cumbria have had in several years.

20202 is also the year of the 60th anniversary of the boy’s races.