A YOUNG runner is hoping to defend her title at a national championship this summer.

Lucy-Erin Hunter was crowned the North-East under 15 800m champion at a competition in Gateshead last month for the second consecutive year.

The 13-year-old student at Hummersknott Academy, in Darlington, also won a silver medal in the 1,500m and hopes to defend her title at the English Schools Athletics Championship, which will be held in Birmingham later this year.

As well as running at school, the youngster also trains two to three times a week with Darlington Harriers.

She said: “I am going to continue training and improving my times – I knocked two seconds off in this race compared to the previous year and I hope to improve as the season continues.

“This year I am concentrating on 800m.”