Josh is just champion

Josh La Manna

ATHLETICS 

JOSH La Manna collected an early birthday present when he won the under-13s race at the Greater Manchester Cross-Country Championships.

Representing Oldham and Royton athletes, Josh, who turned 13 on Wednesday, showed his rivals a clean pair of heels at Woodbank Park, Stockport.

The teenager clinched gold after crossing the line in an impressive eight minutes 51 seconds.

It completed a great double for the Crompton House pupil, who landed the Year Eight Oldham Schools’ Cross-Country title at Chadderton Hall Park before Christmas.

Josh’s superb performance clinched a place in the Greater Manchester team — the first eight to finish are selected — in the Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships in Birmingham.

And, thanks to the efforts of team-mates Philip Whitham (ninth in 9:39), James Kelly (17th, 10:32), Joseph Kershaw (18th, 10:34), Joshua Decamps (20th, 10:48) and Alex Taylor (21st, 11:14), Harriers bagged silver in the age category.

Christopher Brown is also on his way to Birmingham after taking bronze in the under-15s race in a time of 10:43.

He was followed by Alex Procter (10th, 11:27), Bradley Healey (23rd, 12:37) and Nathan Hilditch (25th, 12:44) as the team won silver overall.

Scott Healey was 24th (27:53) in the under-17s event.

For the girls, Amber Boulton finished 22nd (12:25) in the under-13s race, with Jessica Carter-Dust 39th (12:36), Eleanor Makinson 40th (12:39) and Maria Gabrilatsou next home.

Charlotte Cockburn was 34th (15:33) in the under-15 girls category, with Lucy Kershaw (16:07) one place behind her.

In the under-17s race, Rose Mather was 16th (24:35), followed by Emma Croft 20th (25:46), while David Smith was 47th (52:14) in the senior men’s event.

On the roads, Maggie Elliot ran 58:48 in the Regents Park 10k, organised by the Mornington Chasers Running Club.