Grace, 15, earns GB under-20 call-up

Grace Baker, 15, has been selected for the Great Britain under-20 cross-country team to contest the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross-Country International Challenge.

The match - which will take place at Holyrood Park on Saturday January 7 - is between Great Britain, the USA and a European select team, and will be screened live on the BBC.

Although she still has another four years in this age group, Rye College student Baker has not just been put into the squad to gain experience.

She has very much been picked on merit having beaten all but two of her squad-mates in previous cross-country races this year and thus the selectors will expect her to be in the four GB scoring runners.

Pett-based Baker, who is coached by Mick Woods, has already represented England schools at international level and therefore should hopefully not be too fazed by the top quality opposition.

The day will also feature a 3k race with a star-studded line-up including Kenyans Asbel Kiprop (the reigning World and Olympic 1,500m champion) and Brimin Kipruto (reigning Olympic champion and 2007 World champion in the 3,000m steeplechase), and Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele (three-time Olympic gold medallist and multiple world record holder).

See tomorrow’s Hastings and Rye Observers for the full article.