The two THS Year 7 students have been best friends since they were four and running alongside each other for almost as long.
The finals saw the girls running side by side as won their podium places against the county’s brightest and best runners on a hilly 2330m course.
Competitors had won their places in the final following three tough rounds of competition to be whittled down to the top 30 runners in each age group.
Poppy’s proud mum, Nicky said: “It was a hard track and really heavy going so we couldn’t believe how strong they both ran it – they were up at the front the whole way. The emotions were very high when the girls crossed the finish line. It’s just incredible and we’re all so very proud of them both!”
As a result of their success, the girls will now have the chance to be selected for the National Cross County Championships.
Poppy and Hannah continue to go from strength to strength in the world of competitive athletics. Last summer, they were crowned regional champions and made it all the way to the finals of the National Preparatory School’s Athletics Championships.
