Haydon Bridge High School host cross country competitions

278 children from 11 Tynedale schools descended on Haydon Bridge High School for the inaugural Year 5, 6, 7 and 8 cross country relays.

Schools included Ovingham Middle School, Shaftoe Trust Academy, Wark Primary, Haltwhistle Primary Academy, Newbrough Primary, St Matthew's Catholic Primary, Whitfield CE Primary and Allendale Primary.

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Cross country relay events at Haydon Bridge High School (Image: Haydon Bridge High School)

Teams of four ran in relay format over a 1,000m course, with separate girls and boys team races for each of the four year groups, before mixed team relays for Year 5 and 6, then Year 7 and 8 teams.

The competition gave many of Haydon Bridge High School's newest and youngest sports leaders their first experience of organising and running a large scale event, as well giving 80 of their Year 7 and 8 pupils their first opportunity to represent the school in a sports fixture.

Ovingham Middle School made a clean sweep in the single gender team races, with Shaftoe Trust Academy, Wark Primary, Haltwhistle Primary Academy, Newbrough Primary, St Matthew's Catholic Primary, Whitfield CE Primary and Allendale Primary all achieving top four finishes.

In the Year 5 and 6 mixed relay, St Matthew's came out on top, whilst in the Year 7 and 8 mixed relay Haydon Bridge's A, B and C teams scored the first three places.

Haydon Bridge High School was also the venue for the annual Tyne and Wear schoolgirls cross country championships, with 300 runners from 13 schools testing themselves on a course through Peter Telfer's Waite Farm.

The annual Tyne and Wear schoolgirls cross country championships (Image: Haydon Bridge High School)

The event was run entirely by 70 of the Haydon Bridge High School's young sports leaders who not only marshalled the course but oversaw parking, registration, results recording, photography and organised refreshments, providing staff with tea and coffee and each finisher with hot chocolate and a biscuit.

First off were the Year 7 girls in the minors race, with the Royal Grammar School taking the team prize and providing the individual winner in Olivia Murphy.

The cross country championships (Image: Haydon Bridge High School)

First for Haydon Bridge was Grace Pape in 22nd place, with the Haydon Bridge A team finishing in seventh place.

The junior race saw a bumper field of 115 runners with 14 complete teams finishing.

The Royal Grammar School took their second team prize and also provided the individual winner in Niamh Phillipson.

The Haydon Bridge A team finished a creditable sixth, with Nancie Pigg having a great run for 26th with Freya Villiers-Stuart close behind in 36th.

The annual championships (Image: Haydon Bridge High School)

Newcastle High School's Poppy Old was the winner of the intermediate race, but it was Hexham High School who dominated the race, with their six runners coming home in the top 11, led by Anja Stobbart in 5th place.

First finisher for Haydon Bridge was Rebecca Wardle in 42nd. Dame Allan's won the team competition in the senior race and also provided the individual winner in Ellie Price.

The championships were once more a tremendous success, thanks in no small part to the Haydon Bridge High School sports leaders.

Their performance was summed up in one of the many thank you emails, this one from Durham High School: "I was particularly impressed by your young sports leaders. They were fantastic, so polite and helpful."