THE region’s top cross country runners will be in action at Bicton College on Sunday when the Budleigh Salterton venue hosts the South West Championships.

The event will attract hundreds of runners from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire down to Cornwall.

It is the second year running Bicton has staged the championships.

Erme Valley Harriers’ Will Battershill enjoyed success on the venue last season winning the under-17 age group, while City of Plymouth runners Poppy Tank, Victoria Weir and Emily Ackford all claimed top five places in the same age group. All four have moved up to under-20 level this season.

Sunday’s event gets underway at 11.30am with the under-11 development races which are supported by the South West Athletics Academy.

The under-11s will be followed by the under-13s (girls 11.50am and boys 12.10pm), the under-15s (girls 12.30pm and boys 12.50pm) before the senior and under-20 men go off at 1.10pm. The senior and under-20 women will go off at 1.40pm before the under-17s (boys 2.10pm and girls 2.30pm) bring an end to the racing.