The Harrogate-Craven Schools Cross-country Championships, which also represents the first qualifying round of the English Schools Championships, proved to be a popular again when staged last Saturday morning at Giggleswick School.

An added bonus this year – and something of a rarity in the cross-country world of modern times – was that all the respective courses were of the good old-fashioned nature with plenty of ups and downs, also a babbling brook and a flock of sheep grazing for good measure.

Craven athletes also complimented the occasion by winning four individual titles across the age groups and five team crowns.

The triumphant individual quartet comprised of the Giggleswick trio of Eve Hutchinson, Euan Brennan and Samantha Baker-Jones who won the the year seven girls year seven boys and year eight girls races respectively, and Ermysted’s Tom Blanchard, intermediate (years ten and 11) boys.

Ermysted’s won three boys team titles, in the year nine, intermediate and senior boys age groups, with Giggleswick winning the year seven girls and year eight boys titles.

However, it also seems wholly appropriate to acknowledge some stirring efforts from the athletes of Aireville, Upper Wharfedale, Settle College and Skipton Girls’ High who gave it their all and added much to the splendour of the overall occasion which has been a traditional highlight of the local schools sporting calendar on the last Saturday of November for many years.

Unfortunately an inter-club fixture suddenly clashed this year and accounted for a small number of local athletes.

However, those absentees might hopefully note that Olympic stars such as Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis, Kelly Holmes and the Brownlee brothers all prioritised their school championships in their younger days.

Successful athletes from the Giggleswick classic now progress to the North Yorkshire finals at Skipton on January 19, and then hopefully to contest for national glory.

Year 7 girls: 1 Eve Hutchinson, 2 Amy Cornelius, 4 Emily Shaw, 8 Isabel Feather (all Giggleswick), 10 Millie Brewster (Skipton Girls), 1st team: Giggleswick.

Year 7 boys: 1 Euan Brennan, 3 Tom Humphries (both Giggleswick), 6 Tom Barrett (Ermysted’s). 1st team: St John Fisher, Harrogate.

Year8 girls: 1 Samantha Baker-Jones, (Giggleswick), 2 Georgia Flaxman, (Skipton Girls), 10 Noelle Whilhelm (Giggleswick). 1st team: St Aidans.

Year 8 boys: 1 James Whitley (St Aidan’s), 4 Peter Bowles (Giggleswick), 5 Will McCallum (Ermysted’s), 6 Charles Smith (Giggleswick), 7 Alex Blake, (Ermysted’s), 8 Michael O’Shea, (Giggleswick), 10 Toby Jeffrey (Upper Wharfedale). 1st team Giggleswick.

Year 9 girls: 1 Rebecca Wood (King James, Knaresborough), 4 Tilly Melechi, (Skipton Girls) 7 Olivia Shaw (Giggleswick. 1st team: St Aidan’s.

Year 9 boys: 1 George Miller, St Aidans, 3 Alistair Harvey, 4 Matt Thompson, 5 George Maloney, 8 George Row, 9 Ben Archer, all Ermysted’s. 1st team: Ermysted’s.

Intermediate girls: 1 Mia Moore (St Aidan’s), 9 Elspeth Adamson (Skipton Girls), 1st team: St John Fisher.

Intermediate boys: 1 Tom Blanchard, 2 James Bruce, 6 Max Hamer, 7 James Davey, 8 Robert Thompson (all Ermysted’s). 1st team: Ermysted’s.

Senior boys: 1 Ben Pye (St John Fisher), 2 Sam Haggar (Craven College), 8 Adam Sayedi, 10 Naeem Ashfaq (both Ermysted’s). 1st team: Ermysted’s.