IN JUST his second race on the comeback trail, James Wright raced to a confidence-boosting victory in the final Gloucestershire Cross Country League race.

The 17-year-old Chippenham Harrier has been finding his feet again after ending 2018 with a shin injury that forced him onto the sidelines.

Wright made his tentative comeback with a fourth place in the senior boys’ race at the Wiltshire Schools’ Championships last month, but Sunday’s event around Pittville Park, Cheltenham, was a step up and suggests the Hardenhuish School student is close to being back to his best.

“I feel I am close to getting close to my best as I have had some consistent training this year and no more setbacks so as long as I can stay injury free then I just need to get my race sharpness back,” said Wright.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting to do so well in the race and definitely not to win the race.”

Wright started cautiously sitting in the main group for the opening small loop before steadily moving forward to the leaders on the first big lap.

He said: “There were just three of us and three-quarters of the way around the lap I went to the front up a hill and managed to open a gap which I kept to the finish.

“I pushed myself very hard and I just concentrated on my keeping my form to keep my mind off the pain. It wasn’t easy at all.”

Wright wasn’t the only local winner in Cheltenham as there was also a fine victory for Joe Milton, of Avon Valley Runners, as he ran away from the U15 boys’ field to achieve a notable triumph on his debut in the league.