Louie just misses out on England call-up, Bunting put on a good show, bronze for PANVAC's Phil

​Racing in the English Schools Cross Country Championship at Pontefract, the Peterborough & Nene Valley ace finished 15th in the junior boys race when a top 10 placing would have seen him qualify to race for his country.

It takes successful negotiation through several regional rounds to qualify for this prestigious event, and making the top 100 is considered an achievement.

Hemmings wasn't the only PANVAC athlete to excel as Thomas Preston placed 35th in the senior boys race.

PANVAC were well represented in Yorkshire, and both Isaac Fell and Archie Faulder joined Preston in the senior boys race placing 172nd and 286th respectively.

Olivia Walker finished as 165th senior girl, with Hannah Taylor 234th, Grace Randall 241st and Elizabeth Eames 261st.

Erin Walker was the 241st intermediate girl ahead of Ruby Hynes in 259th.

Ethan Locke placed 201st in the junior boys race.

BUNTING ON DISPLAY

Nathan Bunting was the speediest of a group of local runners who joined many of the nation’s top long distance athletes at the Podium 5k series of road races in Leicester on Saturday .

The PANVAC man took a 16 second chunk off his personal best (PB) when recording a time of 14:56. Such was the high quality of the fields, this clocking still left him outside the 100 quickest men on the day.

Helpston’s Aaron Scott and Ben Heron placed second and third respectively in last week's Burghley 7, but the tables were reversed in Leicester with Heron running a new PB of 15:16 with Scott 15 seconds further back. The speedy pair finished as the sixth and seventh quickest over 35s.

Three more of Helpston's finest were in action with James Gelsthorpe clocking 16:26 and Steve Robinson 16:46.

And the consistent Ruth Jones crossed the line in a time of 18:55. Jones was in good company having been chosen to run in one of the two races for elite ladies.

PANVAC were also well represented and Noah Fell's time of 17:47 was fast enough to see him placed as the seventh quickest under 17. Fell took a massive 38 seconds off his previous best time for the distance

Hannah Knight claimed a new PB with her 18:53 clocking.

Dan Lewis clocked 16:13 finishing as eighth over 45 while Michael Major crossed the line in a time of 16:25.

Alex Curtis was another PANVAC athlete to claim a PB when crossing the line in 17:08.

ROUND-UP

PANVAC’s Phil Martin continued his London Marathon preparations when winning a bronze medal in the Essex 20 at Debden Airfield on Sunday.

Placing 18th overall with a time of 1:55.10, Martin picked up his medal by helping Cambridgeshire to third place in the event which doubled as an Inter Counties championship.

And Helpston Harrier Jim Morris took part in Sunday’s North Lincolnshire Half Marathon at Scunthorpe.

Morris finished as fifth over 55 in a time of 1:28.26