VALE Royal Athletics Club has now been producing high-quality athletes for precisely 30 years.

And as they celebrated their big anniversary, a group of their most talented members ensured they marked it in style.

On Saturday, around 13 Vale Royal members past and present gathered for the 30th anniversary celebration of the merging of Mid-Cheshire and Winsford Athletics Club to form Vale Royal back in 1994.

With the night having started with a talk from coach Nick Bishop, there was then a Q&A session with senior Vale Royal coach, former Olympian and ex British 800m record holder Andy Carter.

He was then joined by his son-in-law and another former Olympian in Ben Bright, who is a former head coach of the British Olympic triathlon team.

Talking about the importance of self-belief, Ben concluded “If you are not enough without the medal, you’ll never be enough with the medal.”

Former club members reminisced about their times at Vale Royal AC and how strong bonds of friendship that formed at the club have endured through the years, with some former senior ladies still regularly doing epic hikes together.

Prior to the celebrations starting, news came through of an excellent win on the national stage for four of the club’s most promising young members.

Holly Weedall, Grace Roberts, Ellie Bushill and Molly Roberts combined to top the team rankings for the junior women’s race at the English National Cross Country Championships in Telford.

Weedall placed third in the race by clocking a time of 21mins 14secs and she was followed home by clubmates Roberts (11th, 22mins 41secs), Bushill (18th, 23mins 37secs) and Roberts (45th, 28mins 34secs).

Other Vale Royal results from the championships were as follows

Under 13s girls: Lily Coates (87th, 13mins 31secs)

Under 17s women: Darcey Murphy (12th, 19mins 38secs)

Under 17s men: Robbie Price (31st, 19mins 57secs), Rhys Bowden (61st, 20mins 37secs)

Junior men: Jake Wilson (23rd, 35mins 59secs)

Senior women: Sarah Dufour-Jackson (9th, 31mins 42secs), Sarah Murphy (34th, 34mins 36secs), Katie Latham (46th, 35mins 54secs), Anna Begbie (61st, 37mins 26secs), Helen Smith (78th (38mins 33secs)

Senior men: Sam Whitehead (68th, 42mins 29secs), Aaron Doyle (95th, 43mins 40secs)