Dmitry Nazarenko will line up for his final appearance in the South West Schools Cross Country Championships aiming for a big farewell performance.
The 17-year-old Cheltenham Bournside School student and reigning Gloucestershire Schools champion knows what it takes to make the podium, having finished runner-up in the intermediate boys age group two years ago.
Nazarenko, who is a member of Cheltenham Harriers, missed last year's event but will go into Saturday's event at Grittleton House School near Chipppenham in decent form – although he faces a strong field led by Somerset's British junior international Oliver Fox.
Medals will certainly be difficult to come by in an event that has attracted close to 500 entries for eight races from the seven competing counties across the west – Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Last year at Bournemouth the county managed just a single podium place from Lillie Bellamy in the senior girls race to underline just how difficult it is to make the top three.
Apart from Nazarenko, another leading county hope will be Marling School's Tom Mortimer.
The Stroud and District AC runner has been in terrific form this winter and has already finished among the medals at the South West Inter Counties Cross-Country Championships last month.
Mortimer is a bold runner who will not be afraid to take on the race, and if he can produce his best form the Chris Brown coached athlete should be right in the mix.
Other runners who could be pushing for a top 10 finish include Holly Bankes (inter), Niamh Powell (junior) and Jack Turner (senior), while also keep an eye on Stroud and District AC runner Zoe Wassell who is one of Wiltshire's best medal hopes in the inter girls' age group.
The action starts at 1.30pm and organisers are stressing that car parking will be limited, so runners should share lifts where possible.
