Spring-like weather greeted hundreds of youngsters as they battled it out to become cross country champions.

The second day of the Norfolk Winter School Games saw 640 children take part in cross country races at Gresham's School in Holt.

Parents, together with friends and other family members, came out in force to cheer on their sons and daughters as they dashed around the field and woodland course.

Pupils, aged seven to 11, competed in their year group and completed a lap which varied in distance from 1,000-metres for the younger ones to 1,600m for the older children.

Bevan Baker, eight, from Little Plumstead, who came ninth in the boys' Year 3 race, said: 'It was fun, I really enjoyed it. They went off really fast which was quite hard.'

Emily Yardy, nine, from Thurlton, who took part in the 1,200m Year 4 girls' race, said: 'It was long and hard, the best bit was running through the woods.'

Today's event was part of a series of competitions which are taking part this week as part of the county finals of the Sainsbury's Norfolk Winter School Games.

The finals are the culmination of months of inter and intra-school competitions.

Each pupil represents one of eight School Sport Partnerships - North Norfolk, East Norfolk, South Norfolk, West Norfolk, Breckland, Norwich, Norwich East and West Norwich and Dereham.

School Games organiser Stephen Hulme said: 'It's been fantastic and an amazing spectacle. It's such a massive event with a couple of thousand people, 640 of whom are competitors.

'It's fantastic to see so many people come out and see their kids and to find out more about what the School Games is and what we do.'

Other events being held this week will include sportshall athletics, tag rugby, swimming and table tennis.

The week will finish on Friday with a flagship day at the UEA Sportspark, attended by Paralympic silver medallist Mel Clarke.

The Sainsbury's Norfolk School Games is sponsored by Active Norfolk, Norfolk School Sport Partnerships and the UEA Sportspark, with the Eastern Daily Press and BBC Radio Norfolk as media partners.

The government-backed scheme is designed to build on the magic of the 2012 Olympic Games to enable every school and child to participate in competitive sport, including meaningful opportunities for disabled youngsters.

Follow all of the action everyday in your daily paper or on this website.

The winners:

Year 3 boys

Kit Howlett - West Norfolk

Year 3 girls

Ella Spear - Norwich

Year 4 boys

James Saunders - South Norfolk

Year 4 girls

Grace Jermy - Norwich East

Year 5 boys

Seth McKinnon-Evans - Norwich

Year 5 girls

Femke Rosbergen - West Norwich and Dereham

Year 6 boys

Brandon Tuttle - West Norfolk

Year 6 girls

Katie Goldsmith - West Norwich and Dereham

Click the link at the top right of this story to view the top 10 winners table