THE region’s top cross country runners will be hoping to help Devon to success on Saturday at the Inter-Counties Championships in Birmingham.

Erme Valley’s Great Britain youth international Will Battershill will lead the way at Cofton Park with the under-20 race off first.

Battershill, who finished fifth at last weekend’s English Schools’ Championships and seventh at the recent National Championships, is joined in the Devon team by his Erme Valley team-mate Owen Parkin and Tavistock athletes Will Dax and Josh Blake.

The second race of the day in Birmingham is the under-13 boys’ event where Plymouth College’s Sam Mallolm and Tavistock’s Joe Dix are in the Devon team.

City of Plymouth’s Hannah Blair, Erme Valley’s Cleo Perry and Emma Lake and Bere Alston’s Sam Lake are due to compete in the senior women’s 8km race at 11.45pm.

The under-15 boys are the fourth race off and that is set to include Erme Valley’s Joe Perry.

The under-17 and under-20 women are the next races on the programme.

City of Plymouth’s Poppy Tank, who finished in the top eight at last week’s English Schools’ Championships, will be Devon’s leading runner in the under-20 event. She is joined in the team by Tavistock’s Jennifer Sabine and Phoebe Lloyd, while Tavistock’s Tess Masselink will compete for Cornwall.

Another Tavvy runner, Victoria Moore, will compete for Devon in the under-17 girls’ race.

The under-13 girls are seventh off in Birmingham and will feature Erme Valley’s April Oakshott and Olivia Travers, along with City of Plymouth’s Kate Phillips.

Erme Valley’s Nathan Brown will represent Devon in the under-17 boys’ race at 1.55pm before Tavistock’s Natasha Farrington and Jenny Milburn and City of Plymouth’s Elena Sidman compete in the under-15 girls’ competition.

The final event of the day is the senior men’s race where Allister Bristow, of Erme Valley, will be involved.