THREE teams of Vale Royal athletes proved themselves to be the best in the region on Sunday.

The club took 79 athletes to the North West Counties Road Relays in Ormskirk, which incorporated county championships for Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cumbria.

Overall, Vale runners won 13 medals, including eight golds.

Once again, the club’s talented under 15s age group shone as they claimed two of their three north west gold medals.

The girls – led by English Schools 1,500m champion Holly Weedall – combined to win their race by more than 100 seconds.

Weedall ran the fastest overall leg – completing the 2.8km distance in 9:33 – while Grace Roberts was third quickest in 9:57 and Ellie Bushill 10th in 10:35.

Northwich Guardian:

Holly Weedall ran the fastest overall leg in the under 15s girls' race

Their combined times took both the North West and Cheshire gold medals while the Vale Royal ‘B’ team of Hope Smith, Ellie Hudson and Isobel Ashcroft took Cheshire bronze.

The boys also scooped double gold as Dylan Carney, Jake Wilson and Patrick Griffith stormed to a 43-second victory.

Wilson ran the fastest overall leg – clocking 8:59 – to set up North West and Cheshire gold.

Will Ashfield, Ed Pettitt and Raif Serif also brought home a double title over an increased distance of 5km for the under 17s boys.

Pettitt ran the fifth fastest leg in 16:24 – three seconds ahead of teammate Serif, who was sixth fastest.

Vale Royal dominated the Cheshire podium in the senior women’s race, with the ‘A’ team of Holly Smith, Sophie Smith and Ellie Grinnell claiming gold as well as a North West bronze while the ‘B’ team of Clara Pettitt, Anna Begbie and Hollie Carrington took Cheshire bronze.

Northwich Guardian:

The senior women's 'A' team celebrate winning gold

Holly Smith ran the fifth fastest overall leg as she clocked 18:16 to help the ‘A’ team, whose oldest member is just 20 years of age, to a notable victory.

The senior men also claimed Cheshire gold, with Matt Rowlinson, Alex Doyle, John Humphries and Arun Dight running 5km each while Vale’s ‘B’ team of Ryan Moore, Cam Weaver, Stu Doyle and Nathan Williams claimed bronze.

Northwich Guardian:

The senior men's 'A' team

For the younger runners, Robbie Price, Theo Wassall and Alfie Murray combined to take Cheshire silver in the under 13s boys race while the under 11s boys ‘A’ team of Kyran Higginbotham, Harry Williamson and Thomas Messenger came third in the county.

The club are now preparing for Sunday’s Northern Road Relay Championships, which will be held at Sportcity in Manchester.