Four Kent athletes will be in the GB team that travel to Hyeres, France for the European Cross Country Championships on Sunday, December 13.

Invicta East Kent AC star Bobby Clay leads the six members of the Junior Women's team after a storming performance to win the British Cross Challenge at Sefton Park, Liverpool last Saturday.

Clay stormed to victory in the under-20 race, finishing the muddy 4.4km course in a time of 14mins 42 seconds - four seconds clear of runner-up Harriet Knowles-Jones who will also represent GB in the South of France.

There is also a debut call-up for 16-year-old Bromley High School pupil Sabrina Sinha, who is trained by Clay's former coach, IEK's Peter Mullervy, after her 15:27 performance to win the under-17 girls race.

Tonbridge AC duo Henry Pearce and Chris Olley also produced top-four performances in Liverpool that gained automatic selection for the British team.

Pearce will make his debut in the GB under-23 men’s team. The former Tonbridge School pupil and current Loughborough University student produced a terrific run in the official trial race at Liverpool.

Competing over a three-lap, 9.8k course, Pearce started strongly before easing his way to the back of the lead group of the combined senior men’s race. With international places for both the senior team and the under-23s at stake it was a case of keeping a close eye on who was around him.

At the finish Pearce placed 12th overall and fourth of the under-23s, seven seconds behind the first finisher in his category. This was just reward for his perseverance, having missed GB teams by narrow margins in the past two seasons.

Olley is proving to be one of the most consistent young distance runners in the UK, having already made GB teams for the World Cross Country and European Track Championships earlier this year.

Competing in the under-20 race over 6.7k, Olley managed to stay with the lead group, despite a ferocious pace that saw the first six dip below 20 minutes.

Olley produced a strong finish in the home straight to grab fourth place, just nine seconds down on the winner.