Grace leads Sussex to national silver

But the Rye College student was not completely happy with her fifth place in the 5km race at an event televised live on Sky Sports from Birmingham’s Cofton Park at the weekend.

She said: “My coach Mick Woods has been encouraging me to start more conservatively, but I think on this occasion I was too far back after the first hill and tried to catch the leading pack too quickly.”

The consolations for Baker, from Hastings Athletic Club, were the team medal - beating Warwickshire by one point - and that she was some 18 seconds in front of the reigning champion Becky Straw.

Next weekend the focus is on the English Schools Championships in Taunton where she will be in a different age group and definitely one of the favourites to medal.

See Friday’s Hastings Observer for the full article.