VALE Royal Athletics Club will defend team titles in a total of seven age-group categories during the Cheshire Cross Country Championships in Warrington on Saturday.

More than 120 members have entered, including four that won an individual gold medal during the 2018 edition.

However only one of those, Holly Smith, can bid for a repeat success if she contests the under 17s girls’ race for a second successive year.

Two others, Patrick Griffith and Grace Roberts, step up a class after winning as under 13s last time out.

The latter joined forces with Holly Weedall and Faye Conboy to enjoy considerable success on the road, collecting team gold at the English Road Relays in October after prevailing at both the Northern and North West Road Relays the previous month.

Vale Royal took three of the four senior team titles on offer last year, and a total of 40 men and women have registered to run at Birchwood Forest Park this weekend.

That contingent is boosted by Jacob Brown, the under 20s men’s champion in 2018.

Cheshire County Cross Country Championships

Saturday, January 5

At Birchwood Forest Park, Warrington

Timetable

1130 (2km) Under 11s boys and girls

1150 (3.3km) Under 13s boys and girls

1220 (4.2km) Under 15s boys and girls

1300 (5km) Under 17s boys and girls, plus under 20s women

1340 (8.3km) Senior women

1445 (10.4km) Senior men and under 20s men (8.3km)