The Primary and Year 7 National Schools Cross Country Final is coming to Prestwold Hall, near Loughborough this weekend and you can watch the action live from 10.45am UK time.

Over 2,200 young athletes from around the country are expected to take part in the event, which comprises of 10 different races featuring boys and girls in Years 3 to 7.

The live coverage, featuring cameras around the course as well as drone footage, will be streamed on runjumpthrow.com and runnerspace.com in North America.

Organisers have had to make late changes to the course due to extreme weather conditions says Event Director John Skelvington. “2 weeks ago, the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships were held on the same site and that has rendered our intended course useless, so the race is on a completely different site. We had to completely re-design the course in a matter of days”.

“The ground is still very wet and in places very rough. The grass in the ‘home field’ for example is long and tufted but we can’t cut it because it’s too wet. The course on the day will still be dependent on the ground conditions.

Besides the English weather causing issues, there is positive news in terms of an increase in the numbers taking part. “We’ve had more entries than we expected and we have had some individual entries. Not everywhere has the structure to bring a team. We have had two in from the Isle of Wight, a few in from Monmouth in Wales and in Cleveland. Overall, 70 people have entered as individuals. We have had about 2,200 entries. Every time will be a course record – at least for a year. But possibly for ever as it may be the only time we use this course!”

Some of those involved this weekend have talents across other events and sports. Huntingdon BRJ’s Jodie Elliott has qualified for her regional swimming finals, while team-mate Dominic Pauley takes part in cyclocross and Liam Conway won his category in the Eastern League Triathlon Championships last year. Cornwall’s Fraser Abbiss plays football for Wadebridge Town and has won a medal at the Surf Lifesaving National Championships.

Timetable:

Leicestershire and Rutland only events

10.45 – Year 3 Girls

11.00 – Year 3 Boys

11.15 – Year 4 Girls

11.30 – Year 4 Boys

11.45 – Presentations for above events

12.30 – Year 5 Girls L&R/National combined

12.55 – Year 5 Boys L&R/National combined

1.15 – Year 6 Girls L&R/National combined

1.35 – Year 6 Boys L&R/National combined

1.50 – Year 7 Girls Nationals

2.10 – Year 7 Boys Nationals