HUNTINGDONSHIRE Athletics Club’s James Barkshire won the junior race at the home leg of this season’s Frostbite League on Sunday to help his team pick up first place in the overall junior event.

The leg was held at a wet and windy Hinchingbrooke Park and 13-year-old Barkshire strolled home in a time of nine minutes 51 seconds, winning the 1.5-mile race by a margin of 14 seconds. It was his first ever appearance in the league.

Behind Barkshire, another home runner, 12-year-old Joey Croft, finished fifth in the 130-strong field, while Ella Blake, who turned 15 just two days earlier, just missed out on being the first female finisher by one second, but still gained a top 10 finish out of the mixed field.

Rounding out the team scorers, 10-year-old Andrew Worrall came 12th, while Polly Smith crossed the finish line in 16th overall as third female finisher.

With an average age of just 13 years and four months (with race eligibility allowing 16-year-olds to participate), the Hunts AC junior team gained a four-point victory over league leaders Nene Valley Harriers.

The juniors remain in third place overall but are just two points behind Nene Valley Harriers and one point behind second-placed Riverside Runners.

In the senior race, 16-year-old Fraser Deeprose became the first-ever teenager to lead Hunts AC home in a Frostbite when he finished 13th ahead of 360 runners.

With teenagers dominating Hunts AC’s effort on the day, 17-year-old Eleanor Smith was the first female finisher, while 16-year-old Rebecca Pedley was the third and final female scorer.

Despite several key senior men runners being unavailable, Hunts AC still managed third place in the team event and remain for third overall in the standings.

With Cambridge & Coleridge AC fielding a weakened team, Hunts AC closed to within a point of them in the overall league.

Frostbite League (Hinchingbrooke Park leg): Senior team – 1 Nene Valley Harriers 291 points, 2 Werrington 551, 3 Hunts AC 683; League Standings (after 3 races): 1 Nene Valley Harriers 46, 2 Cambridge & Coleridge 44, 3 Hunts AC 43; Junior team: 1 Hunts AC 44, 2 Nene Valley Harriers 48, 3 Riverside Runners 71; League Standings (after 3 races): 1 Nene Valley Harriers 43, 2 Riverside Runners 42, 3 Hunts AC 41.