Emerging talent Melissa Hawtin, of Oxford City, strides home almost 100 metres clear of the field in the UK Challenge Cross Country at Senneleys Park, Birmingham on Saturday.

Competing in the under 13 girls' age group, Hawtin, who only started running two years ago, crossed the line in 10mins 36secs over the 2.5km course, finding her coach, Penny Williams wiping away tears of joy at the finish line.

Hawtin trains regularly, and Williams, an Oxford City coach for ten years, said: "Melissa is such a prodigious talent. It's not down to me - it's all natural talent."