By Martin Morgan

Last updated 12:14, Tuesday, 15 July 2008

Teenager Laura Park has rejected the chance to represent England in the British Schools championship in Bedford next week after receiving an invitation to the prestigious London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace.

GrandPrix-bound: Dearham runner Laura Park with her English Schools Athletic Association Gold Medal she won at Gateshead

The Ellenborough AC youngster will compete in the junior women’s 3,000 metres on her first visit to the famous circuit for the televised event.

“It is probably bigger than the international at Bedford,” said the 16-year-old, from Dearham. “I’m going for the experience.

“It will be really tough as a lot of the girls will be 18 or 19 so will be a bit stronger. I’ll be in the middle of the pack.”

Laura will be closer to her peak in four years’ time for the London Olympics, though she is not looking too far ahead.

“That’s more of a dream at the minute,” she added. “I’d certainly like to be there but you never know what could happen in four years. Overall, I’d still like to be running in my 20s and competing at a high level.”

Laura claimed her fifth British or national title of the year on Saturday in the intermediate girls’ 3,000m at the English Schools championship at Gateshead International Stadium.

Representing Cumbria Schools, the former Netherhall Sports College student was the only county athlete to win a medal, adopting fresh tactics against her classy rivals.

“Normally I would choose to run from the front and take the race on,” she added. “This time I let someone else take the pace on and I settled in for four of the seven laps, then I kicked.

“Because it was a big race and I knew some girls would be close to me, I didn’t want to get too excited and burn out.”

She was over six seconds ahead of her nearest rival at the line, crossing in nine minutes 45.6 seconds.

Adam McKee, of Carlisle, set a personal best with 36.55 metres in the junior boys’ discus. Egremont’s James Bowness ran fifth in the intermediate boys’ 800 metres in 1:57.60.

Chelsie Browbank, of Wigton, finished seventh in the junior girls’ 200 metres in 26.41, after running 25.88 in her heat.

While Carlisle’s Tristan Venus, ran eighth in the junior boys’ 1,500 metres in 4:08.30 and Tom Farrell, also from the city, finished eighth in the senior boys’ 3,000 metres in 8:37.87.

Greysouthen shot putter Eloise Stott was seventh in the senior girls’ event with 10.85 metres.