A YOUNG Bolton United Harriers under-15 girls’ team gained invaluable experience as they gave a good account of themselves in the English Cross Country Association’s (ECCA) relay championships.

The trio of Alice Tonge, Ellie-Jo Ramsden and Molly Philbin were all running a year young against the best in the country at Berry Hill Park in Mansfield on Saturday.

Despite the age disadvantage they combined to finish an excellent 60th out of a field of 85 teams with a cumulative time of 25mins 12.80secs, and 14th of all northern A teams.

Individual results: Alice Tonge 7:55.15 (58th), Ellie-Jo Ramsden 8:45.35 (61st) and Molly Philbin 8:32.30 (60th).

Elsewhere, the 32nd edition of the Through The Villages (of Wheelton, Brinscall, Abbey Village and Withnell) race saw Cherry Collison improve on her performance last year by nearly three minutes to clock 68:36 for 159th position. Hannah Edwards also completed the 8.4 miles in 79:37 for 235th.

Bolton United Harriers have announced their races for the first half of 2016.

They will stage the opening Central Lancashire Grand Prix fixture - the Central Lancashire 5k on February 21.

The club's Leverhulme Park base will be in use once again for the club's showpiece race of the year, the Bolton 10k on April 24, before the Last Drop Loop fell race takes place at Bromley Cross on May 14.