Back in July at Hull the junior girls of Sussex made athletics history when they became the first winners of the Forrester Trophy after victory in the under-15s team event.

The trophy is now in the hands of this year's team manager Tony Elder who will shortly be taking it around the schools in Sussex whose athletes contributed to the team victory.

Two years ago at Bury St Edmunds the senior girls won their group but this was a first for Sussex at either junior or intermediate level.

Tony said: "They did do extremely well this year. We took nine junior girls which is the most for many years and six of them scored points for the team.

"Both Carley Wenham, from Ifield School, and Chichester High School's Charlotte Browning finished second in their events, the 100 and 1,500 metres, and they will still be in the same age group next season which gives us a good foundation to defend our title.

"It is important we nurture these youngsters, particularly those who are getting their first taste of these championships."

Apart from Carley and Charlotte, Lucy Ramsay (Varndean) and Lianne George (Boundstone) both won gold medals - Lucy in the long jump and Lianne in the 200 metres - while Nimi Iniekio (Cardinal Newman) finished fifth in the shot putt and Hannah Bates (Patcham) scored points for gaining a standard in her heat of the 800 metres.

The prospects for next year are good as these four move up to the intermediate age group. In this group Amala Onuora (Willingdon) finished sixth in the 100 metres, Jenny Bliss (Blatchington Mill) was fifth in the 300 metres hurdles and Emma Perkins (Angmering) won the high jump and these three remain in the intermediate group for next year.

The intermediate girls team was placed third in the team event this year with Amala, Jenny and Emma being the main points scorers. Hopes are high that with Lianne, Lucy and Nimi joining them next year there will be more team success.

Ifield, Chichester, Varndean, Patcham, Boundstone and Cardinal Newman will be sharing the trophy for just over one month before it needs to be returned to the English Schools Association for re-presentation next year, but could it return to Sussex for a second year?

SUSSEX Veterans cross country champion Nigel Gates is still not racing fit following his Achilles tendon problems from last winter.

Nigel was an inadvertant victim of the Foot and Mouth crisis when the paths he used for training around his home were closed and he had to pound the roads.

The hard surface caused injury and he had to stop running. To keep a basic fitness Nigel took to the bike and it was not until late July, when the paths were re-opened, that he managed to start jogging again.

Nigel said: "My recovery is taking a little longer than I hoped. I'm managing to get in some sessions on grass at the moment but I am trying to stay away from the road as much as possible.

"I don't want to push too hard and have to return to square one so I am now looking to possibly returning to racing over the country instead of the road and it could be a Sussex Cross Country League event.

"The first one is at Goodwood in a couple of weeks time but I may not make that one but I certainly hope that I will be fit for the second league event, which will be at Crawley at the end of November."

CRAWLEY'S hopes of giving a good account of themselves in last weekend's South of England Road Relay Championships at Aldershot were dashed before they had finalised their team.

They had hoped to improve on their 14th placing last year and qualify for the national championships again.

The major loss was Gavin Thompson, the county senior cross country champion, who is currently in America and injuries to Joel Kidger and the unavailability of Louis Jones meant their hopes were wrecked.

On paper they do have a squad that could challenge most teams but getting all of them in one place at the same time is proving pretty difficult.

THE CHIMES of Big Ben tomorrow morning at 7am will signal the start for the 100 runners who will be attempting to cover 55 miles to Madeira Drive in Brighton for the 51st running of the London to Brighton road race.

Of these 19 Sussex runners are expected to be amongst the starters in what is probably the largest number of runners from the county to contest the event in recent years.

Amongst them are old warhorses Dave Beattie from Crawley who won the title in 1990 and has completed the course 16 times.

Brighton & Hove's Terry Parkinson has completed the course ten times and is eager to improve on his previous best placing of tenth in 1999. These two are likely to spearhead the Sussex challenge particularly as Wally Hill, who had led the Sussex challenge for the past two years, is not on the entry list this year.

Last year Crawley won the team event with Brighton and Hove in third place and both teams have regularly featured in the medals in the past decade.

Tracey Luckhurst from Haywards Heath Harriers is among seven women who are hoping to complete the course.

The winner is expected to arrive soon after 12.30pm.

Also tomorrow is the annual Lewes Downland 10-mile race (11.15). Although the 10-mile race is the main event a 2-miles fun run will precede it at 10.30 and a five-mile race at 11.00.