SIX hundred children from across Bracknell Forest took part in the annual cross country relays event at South Hill Park.

The event is organised by the borough council as part of the Young People in Sport Scheme and went ahead on a glorious late autumn day recently.

The senior schools were first to take on the 920-metre meadow and woodland course.

By half way Ranelagh A had opened a reasonable lead that they would hold on to, winning the race by about a minute. Sandhurst pulled away to take second with Edgbarrow a further minute behind in third.

The first half of the Girls Junior B team race was dominated by New Scotland Hill, who at one stage opened up a gap of nearly 30 seconds.

However, Whitegrove reeled them in to take first place from Wooden Hill and New Scotland Hill.

In the Boys Junior B team race, only 20 seconds separated the top 10 teams at the end of the first leg and the lead continued to change hands until Whitegrove B pulled clear to win ahead of Ascot Heath B and Whitegrove C.

In the girls A race, Whitegrove took the honours from College Town, while Crowthorne recovered from a slow start with a brilliant run over the last two legs to take third place.

The Boys A teams did not disappoint, producing one of the most exciting races of recent years.

St Josephs set the pace from Owlsmoor, but just 13 seconds covered the top 10 teams.

By the final hand-over a mere four seconds covered leaders Ascot Heath from Whitegrove, College Town and Binfield.

Whitegrove and Binfield eventually opened up a gap and the schools were so close at the finish line they were declared joint winners with College Town third.

Bracknell Forest Mayor Tony Virgo congratulated the teams and presented their medals after the races.