WESTCLIFF’S Jonathan Kerridge came fourth in the Bupa Junior Great North Run on Saturday — the same position he finished in last year’s event.

The 15-year-old, who is a member of Southend Athletics Club, finished the 3.5km-road race in a time of 15:56 to beat 730 other competitors.

Staged on Newcastle-Gateshead’s Quayside, the event featured three different categories for youngsters of all abilities.

It attracted a record field of more than 5,000 children, many of whom were also running for charity.

Kerridge, whose preferred distance is the 800m, led the Boys 12-16 years race for long periods but was eventually beaten by three older runners.

Joshua Schofield, 16, of Scarborough Athletics Club (15:09) was first home in front of Shaun Barras, Jarrow & Hebburn AC (15:14), and Liam James Ayton, Durham City Harriers & AC.

Kerridge, a pupil at the Southend High School for Boys, paid tribute to PE staff at the school and his coach at Southend AC for their support.

He added: “I was delighted with my finish and I hope to do the race again next year and achieve a podium finish.”

He has previously represented the school in the World Schools Cross Country Championships in Slovakia in April, when the team came fourth, and will return to action in the Southend 10K road race on October 3.

More than 54,000 people braved the gloomy weather to take part in the Great North Run’s main event as they made their way around the 13.1-mile course from Newcastle to South Shields Haile Gebrselassie — the world’s greatest ever long-distance athlete — won in a time 59:33, some 50 seconds ahead of his closest rival.