Published: 19 November, 2015
by STEVE BARNETT

SILVER-scooping speedsters Jesse Hopkins and Patrick Kyle both soared on Saturday as Team Camden secured their best ever results in the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games Cross-Country Championships. 

More than 1,000 talented young Londoners descended on Parliament Hill Fields for the first event of the new Youth Games season, with represen­tatives from all 33 of the capital’s boroughs taking part in the action. 

Jesse Hopkins and Patrick Kyle

In the Under-11s age group, Hopkins clocked a time of five minutes, 42 seconds to finish a testing 1.5k course in second place. Ezra Baddiel-Banks also gained valuable points as he hit home just eight seconds later to take sixth place, and help the Under-11s boys’ team record a memorable victory. 

Running over 2k, Kyle also shone as he clocked a time of 7mins, 43sec to claim a silver medal as Camden’s Under-13s boys’ team finished fourth. 

Oliver Haddad and Austin Harris also ran well as they finished in sixth and 12th place respectively to earn Camden a bronze in the boys’ Under-15s age group. 

Selected and coordinated by Highgate Harriers Athletics Club and Camden Council Sport and Physical Activity Service, the borough fielded youngsters in four different age groups. 

Their team effort saw Camden record their best ever results in the Cross-Country Championships, with the boys finishing fourth overall and the girls finishing fifth. 

For more details on Camden’s ongoing sports programme visit: www.camden.gov.uk/active