Holmfirth Harriers’ Under 15 Girls claimed gold at the North of England Cross Country Relay Championships in Sheffield.

They held off stiff competition from Stockport and Sheffield AC to win by a comfortable eight seconds.

The trio consisting of Olivia Sykes, Lucy Byram and Erica Byram have been competing as a team for over four years and the title at Graves Park represents their biggest win to date.

The team have won medals in Yorkshire events before but a victory on this scale has, until now, eluded them.

Sykes ran the first leg before handing to Lucy Byram, who established a 13-second lead over her nearest rivals, enough of a margin to allow Erica, who had been carrying a slight injury, to bring the gold home ahead of Stockport’s English Schools’ Cross Country champion Katy Whiteoak.

The juniors will next be in action at the National Young athlete relays this Sunday in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham.

Holmfirth’s women continued the trend of female success as they claimed a magnificent second position in the open championships.

There were three women’s teams entered into the race by the club and the A team picked up the silver.

The Harriers were in seventh place after Margaret Sykes’ opening leg, putting Helen Berry in a promising position going into the middle stretch of the race.

Berry produced a stunning run to pick up four positions and leave the Harriers in third place with the final leg to be run by Great Britain International Katie Walshaw.

Walshaw recorded the third fastest time of the day on the anchor leg to gain a further place and help claim the silver medal for the women’s team for the second time in three years.

The B team, consisting of Claire Leaver, youngster Ruby Sykes and debutant Kirsty Henderson, scored an encouraging 11th place.

Meanwhile the C team of Cara Penfold, Emma Serjeant and Jo Bailey-Tailor finished in 19th place.

The men’s team could not replicate the success of the women as both A and B teams were outside the top 10.

The Senior Men’s Open Category consisted of four legs of two miles each and despite Peter Brookes’ storming 10-56 leg, the A team of Brookes, Stuart Sharp, Scott Smith and Steven Eastwood could manage only 13th.

The B team, with Simon Findlay, Alastair Langron, Philip Hewitt and Simon Edwards were 20th.

Holmfirth Women – 2nd A team: Margaret Sykes 12:25 (7th), Helen Berry 12:25 (3rd), Katie Walshaw 11:35 (2nd).

11th B team: Claire Leaver 12:51 (11th), Ruby Sykes 13:23 (9th), Kirsty Henderson 14:49 (11th).

18th C team: Cara Penfold 14:28 (20th), Emma Serjeant 15:39 (19th), Jo Bailey-Taylor; 16:45 (19th).

Holmfirth Juniors – 7th U11 girls A team: Frances Keddie 5.37 (5th fastest time overall), Sophie Kettlewell 7.17, Emily Travis 6.12.

9th B team: Ruby Yates 6.33, Lucy Lindley 6.15, Amelie Stewart 6.30.

U11 boys: William Field 6.24, Sean Keddie 6.27, Sam Brown 6.19.

12th U13 girls A team: Sophie Allan 6.26, Libby Shepherd 6.22, Sunnivah Waterman 6.35.

25th B team: Annie Stone 6.47, Millie Yates 7.01, Millie Stewart 6.59.

28th C team: Lia Carter 6.45, Alice Shelbourne 7.32, Georgia Bottomley 7.12.

5th U13 boys A team: Ollie Rees 5.43, Nicky Farquhar 4.54, Jimmy Burke 5.49.

10th B team: Fionn Kerry 6.08, Daniel Howatson 6.24, Callum Durrans 5.52.

16th C team: Samuel Bedingfield 6.09, Jack Marsden 6.48, Ned Johnson 6.26.

22nd D team: George Hobbs 6.51, Alfie Field 7.02, Archie Hall 6.42.

E team: Harry Hobbs 7.24 (30th after leg one).

1st U15 girls A team: Olivia Sykes 7.34, Lucy Byram 8.01, Erica Byram 7.54.

26th B team: Genevieve Durrans 9.02, Amy Kettlewell 10.00, Daisy Smith 10.03.

21st U15 Boys A team: Andrew Farquhar 8.03, William Johnson 8.27, Seth Waterman 7.41, Shea Kerry 8.51 (30th after 1 leg).

11th U17 Girls: Lucy Farquhar 9.08, Harmonie Waterman 9.35, Sophie Spencer 9.43.

18th U17 boys A team: Alex Robinson 8.04, Aaron Kettlewell 7.48, Chris Law 8.14.

21st B team: George Green 8.23, Eddie Hinchliffe 8.24, Lavell Pierre 8.05, Joe Law 9.23 (26th after leg one).