Sarah is the English Schools' Junior Girl's Cross Country Cup champion. She won the title at Middlesbrough, where she  ran a superb race to claim victory by four seconds.

"It was nice for Sarah to win because she was third last year," said David Farrow.

Sarah was 5th at the Reebok Challenge in Cardiff in a time of 11:56. She was able to move up from Under 13s because of the different age group rules operated by Schools authorities. 

1st Feb - Sarah (currently) tops the U15 girls indoor rankings 2004 (4th U17/U20) with 4:42.47  for 1500m on 4th Jan 04 in Cardiff, 16 seconds ahead of her nearest rival, Kayleigh-Ann Brown (Carm).

Sarah Hopkinson also came away with a personal best in the Under-15s 800m in the AAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham. The 12-year-old Gloucester AC runner finished second in a time of 2:15.01 in a race won by Edinburgh's Lynsey Sharp in a championship record and UK Under-15 best time of 2:12.79.

"It was a fantastic turn of speed for Sarah and her time was only 0.2 seconds outside the European Age 12 record," added Farrow. "It was also a great thrill for Sarah as it was her first medal at a major championships."

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Inter-counties cross-country

Pre-race: Nottingham:   Sarah Hopkinson (161), the reigning Midland Counties Champion, is fourth in the Reebok Cross Challenge standings with 55 points. She was caught on the line and relegated to second place by Eilish McColgan in Birmingham but a few weeks later had a fine victory at the Reebok Liverpool Cross Challenge, with Lucy McLoughlin second and Eilish McColgan third.

English Schools cross-country

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Pre-race: English Schools, Kent: Sarah Hopkinson will line up in the English Schools for the first time in the junior girls' race and will be hoping for a top 10 place to atone for last week's disappointing result in the Inter-counties Championships.

In March, Sarah took the Bronze in the Junior Girls' race at English Schools in Maidstone, Kent, only 2 seconds behind winner, Joanne Harvey.  

On top of this, Sarah has been selected to represent England in the Home Countries International next month, and will now finish her season by running for England against Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in Ayr on Saturday, April 3.

The 12-year-old Gloucester AC runner trains with Emily Pidgeon in David Farrow's coaching group and it is the first time they have run internationally together.

"I'm really looking forward to running in Ayr with Sarah. It will be nice to go away together," said Pidgeon.

Hopkinson, 12, will be hoping to follow in her footsteps next year and she can be satisfied with her bronze medal on her English Schools debut.

"We were looking for Sarah to bounce back after her disappointing run in Nottingham and she did just that," said coach Farrow.

British Schools cross-country

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After her training partner, Emily Pidgeon's, withdrawl from the Home Nations Schools Cross country championships in Ayr. Pidgeon's withdrawal was  equally disappointing for her Gloucester clubmate

"I think Sarah was really looking forward to having Emily along and without her it will be more demanding and challenging for Sarah," added Farrow. "It will be an interesting experience for Sarah and it represents another step up the ladder for her."

British milers' club PB Classic

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Sarah Hopkinson opened the 2004 summer in superb style by setting a new UK Age record in the British Milers' Club PB Classic at Somerset's Millfield School.

She took full advantage of the conditions and the good competition in Monday (3rd May) night's meeting to set a personal best at 1500m. 

Hopkinson shaved four seconds off her personal best in the 1500m. Her time of 4:35.86 was a new UK Age 12 best and again was only a fraction shy of the European record for that age group.

"It was a terrific run by Sarah in what was a very high quality race," added Farrow.

Roger Bannister memorial mile

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On the same Iffley Road track in Oxford - now a modern all-weather surface compared to the cinders in 1954, Gloucester AC runner Hopkinson set a new European Age best times in Thursday (6th May) night's Under-20s mile race, which was held at the meeting staged to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bannister's ground-breaking first sub-four minute mile. She finished fourth and just dipping under the five-minute barrier with a time of 4:59.61. Clubmate Emily Pidgeon won the Under-20s race in a time of four minutes 50.68 seconds. Non Stanford was second with Hannah England third.

"Emily's time was a new British and European Age 14 record while Sarah's was a British and European age 12 and 13 record," said proud coach David Farrow.

Sarah was presented with a special commemorative medal to celebrate the Bannister mile by Diane Leather, who was the first British woman to break five minutes for the mile in 1954, and also spoke to Bannister.

Rodger Bannister at the meeting

21st May - Sarah won the 300m and 800m at the Gloucestershire County Track & Field Championships at the Prince of Wales Stadium with times of 43.6 and 2:13.9 respectively. 

Hopkinson, 12, shadowed her clubmate all the way round before falling back slightly over the final 100 in her 800m race. Her time of two minutes, 13.9 seconds was a new stadium age group record and an European age 12 record. Pidgeon's winning time of two mins, 12.4secs was a new stadium under-17 record. 

Thanks to thissisgloucestershire

Thanks to thissisgloucestershire

Sarah Hopkinson clocked an impressive 2:15.75 in the 800m despite blustery winds that slowed all the times in the British Milers Club meeting in Cardiff.

Sarah Hopkinson, coached by David Farrow, was in gold medal form at the Midland Championships. 
The talented 12-year-old burst clear at the bell of the Under-15s 800m and she raced to victory in a time of 2:15.38.

"It was a very pleasing win for Sarah and nice for her to win a title," added Farrow.

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Sarah Hopkinson set two personal bests at the Worcester Open meeting on Tuesday [15th June] evening.  She ran 13.3 over 100m, which she ran for speedwork, and then ran the 800m, setting a new best and UK age 12 best of 2:13.4. The time shaved half a second off her own UK record that she set earlier this season in the Gloucestershire County Championships and made up for the disappointment of being disqualified from a recent BMC race when it looked like she had run as quick.

"It was a tremendous run because it was only a low-key meeting and there was quite a blustery wind," said coach, David Farrow. "We knew she had the time in her because she ran around 2:13 in the BMC race at Solihull before she was disqualified."

Coming four days after her UK record over 1500m at Watford (4:33.8), it completed a superb couple of days for Hopkinson.

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English Schools T&F

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Pre-race English Schools Track and Field Championships, Junior Girls 1500m: Cheltenham Ladies' College pupil Sarah Hopkinson will be competing in the under-15 girls' 1500m. Her best time for the distance is four minutes, 33.8 seconds, and she is favourite to take the title.

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Hopkinson said: “I’m really pleased with how the race went. I felt strong, especially towards the end. I plan to run in most of the Reebok Cross Challenge races this season.”

Sarah Hopkinson retained her intermediate girls title with a win over three kilometres in a new course record of 10:48.

SARAH'S BIG TEST

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Sarah Hopkinson will start among the medal contenders for tomorrow's English Schools cross-country final in Oswestry.

The 13-year-old Gloucester AC runner is representing Cheltenham Ladies College in the competition, which she won last year in the junior age group.

But tomorrow, due to different age groups used in this competition, she is stepping up into the intermediate girls, so she will face girls at least a year older.

"I think a top three place is a reasonable expectation because Sarah will be up against some good girls," said her coach, David Farrow. "I think a top three place is a reasonable expectation because Sarah will be up against some good girls," said her coach, David Farrow.

Adapted from thissisgloucestershire

Pre-race: Under 15 girls (year 8 & 9) 3km – UK Cross Challenge leader Blue Haywood (Lincoln Wellington) will renew battle with Charlotte Purdue (Aldershot, Farnham and District), who has already won Challenge races in London and Liverpool this winter; Sarah Hopkinson (Gloucester), who is another fine prospect in the same training group as Emily Pidgeon; and Tamara Armoush (Amber Valley), who was second in the Under 13 Girls’ race her 12 months ago and has run so consistently well this winter that she currently holds third place in the UK Cross Challenge standings.