INTERNATIONAL athlete Heather Timmins sped to cross country glory this week, securing the biggest achievement of her seven-year career so far.

Warrington Athletics Club ace Timmins won the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Under 17s Championship when representing Cheshire in Nottingham on Saturday.

And that stunning national success also gave her overall victory in the UK Cross Challenge Series, which she had been leading going into Saturday's race.

Timmins, who lives in Warrington and is a student at Sir John Deane's College in Northwich, led from the gun and was never overtaken at Wollaton Park.

She pulled well clear by the halfway stage and, although the chasing runners were closing towards the end, had six seconds to spare at the finish.

Timmins, who represented England under 20s in an IAAF meet in Luxembourg two weeks ago, will be hoping to maintain her good form for the English National Cross Country Championships in Sunderland on March 10.

Timmins led the Cheshire team to eighth place at Nottingham and the other Warrington runners involved were Amy Talbot, 90th, Rhiannon Rainford, 110th, and Lucy Gemmell, 117th.

In the under 17s boys race, the Warrington quartet of Lawrence Walker, ninth, Stephen Broadhurst, 10th, Danny Cliffe, 20th, and Mat Jackson, 42nd, were the counting runners for the Cheshire team which finished in third place.

Lauren Stephens was the only representative from the club in the under 20s women's race, finishing in 123rd place.

Lizzie Heaven was 62nd in the under 13s girls race, with Vicky Hamilton 194th, while in the under 15s section Louise Sullivan was 115th and Rachel Jefferson 152nd.

In the under 13s boys, Lee Lockwood-Bent was 164th with Alex Wort 171st and Sean Austin 185th, while Tom Jervis was 86th in the under 15s race and Jason McGonigle was 133rd in the under 20s men's event.