Burton runners impress

SIX Burton athletes travelled to Sefton Park, Liverpool for the UK Athletics Cross Challenge.

- By GRAHAM LAMB

They could have had a sense of déjà vu as like last year, there with many muddy puddles, Liverpool would again show the

The rain had stopped when 400 primary school children ran in the under 11 races.

Irina Laird was the first to run in the under 13 girls three km race, she was well prepared in long spikes for the muddy conditions.

Irina in only her second cross country race and in the first year of the age group had a strong run. Finishing 103rd out of the 173 runners showed her potential.

Megan Cheetham, in the under 15 age group, had shown great potential in her first two North Midland League races, finishing second.

This was a chance to test herself at a higher level, with 11 of the top 20 from the English Schools Championships in March entered. Although a bit blocked at the start she was in the top 15 after 800 metres.

Then she gradually moved her way through the field to take seventh in the 3K race out of 175.

A great result at this level in her first muddy cross-country race.

Maisie Trueman is no stranger to this course, having run here in the previous two cross challenges and the English Schools championships in 2020, famously the last major sporting event before lockdown.