CLIFTON schoolboy Ryan Parker is a teenager in a hurry. The Samuel Whitbread Community College pupil represented Bedfordshire at the last big event of the season, the English schools cross-country, at Mansfield on Saturday. Ryan, who turned 15 the day be

CLIFTON schoolboy Ryan Parker is a teenager in a hurry.

The Samuel Whitbread Community College pupil represented Bedfordshire at the last big event of the season, the English schools' cross-country, at Mansfield on Saturday.

Ryan, who turned 15 the day before, ran a fantastic race to take silver in the boys' under-17 age group.

It was his first major race in that age group and over the 6000m distance.

The recent inter-counties race was over 4500m and he competed in the under-15 boys' race.

The first eight finishers (out of 305) were selected to run in the Home Nations international against Scotland, Ireland and Wales and receive their England tracksuit for this honour.

Getting the tracksuit has been Ryan's ambition since losing out by one place when he came ninth in last year's ESAA national championships.

He will not get to wear that particular one though as he has be asked to join the England team going to Italy that same weekend for the world cross-country championships instead!

This will have 20 other countries competing but thankfully no Kenyans.