LORETO Grammar School cross country runners travel to the national championships in Southend in Essex this Saturday as one of the favourites to win Gold.

If successful the fleet footed Loreto girls could go on to represent England in a European series.

Though the intermediate team from the Altrincham school, consisting of runners from Years Nine and 10, won the national title as Juniors two years ago and must be considered strong contenders, Loreto Grammar School's head of physical education Catherine Ball said: “We are not even thinking about that eventuality. It breeds complacency and we are certainly not dreaming about a trip to Europe. In fact I have the banned the girls from talking about that, in my presence at least.”