Thomas Huckerby, from Langley School, wins the boys' U13s race.

If anyone had any doubt about the popularity of cross country running in schools they should have been at Sloughbottom Park in Norwich for the Norfolk Schools Championships.

Hundreds of the best runners from all over the county competed over a straight forward course that was good for the many spectators too.

In the senior boys 6.5km race Martainn Ramsay ran from the front and finished ahead of the much-improved Tom Hook. Scott Greeves ran well to take the U17 boys’ title.

In the senior girls 3.7km race, Mabel Beckett fought a close duel with Nastaja Potgeiter for the whole race, but eventually produced one of her best races to record a victory. All of these athletes are from the Norwich area.

Emily Hoogkamer kept Catherine Lee, from Yarmouth, in second place after another good race over the 3.7km distance.

The biggest winning margin of the day came from Ashley Waterson in the U15 boys’ 4.8km race – he led from the front and built up a 40-second lead by the finish.

Ellie Drake from Diss was an impressive victor in the U15 girls’ race, building up a seven-second lead ahead of Sophie Alden by the end.

Lauren Hemp won the U13 girls’ race while Thomas Huckerby had a good win in the boys’ race.

At stake for the runners was a place in the Norfolk team for the Anglian Schools Championships at Holbrooke School, near Ipswich a week on Saturday.

City of Norwich athletes will be taking part this weekend in the Southern Counties championships over a testing course at Brighton.