FIVE Bucks girls will be running for their lives at the English Schools Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Friday and Saturday.

Wycombe High pupils Leah Barrow and Chloe Mays have perhaps the toughest challenge as they step up to the senior age group for the first time.

Barrow won her first International vest when she was selected to represent England at 300m last season at this meet, but this year she will move up to the hotly contested 400m series, where she will be up against Victoria Ohurguru, sister of Olympic 400m winner Christine.

Mays meanwhile, who was selected for the UK School Games last year, will move up from 100m to senior 200m after a string of personal bests over that distance this season.

Also returning to the Championships will be junior athletes Stephanie Clitheroe (Highcrest School) and Olivia Caesar (Beaconsfield High).

Caesar runs in the 200m while Clitheroe takes on the 75m hurdles and will have her sights on a medal She is currently ranked fifth in the country in her age group, but has risen to the grand occasion before, most notably when she won the National Indoors title.

Meanwhile, a number of other Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow athletes will be making their Schools Championships bow for Bucks.

Sir William Borlase pupil Morgan Lake is ranked one in the country in the U15 long jump with a distance of 5.61m, while Becca Croft of Beaconsfield High runs in the 1,500m.

Completing the junior list is Gabriella Zivanovic of The Misborne School, who qualified for the discus with a throw of 27.98m The English Schools Athletics Championships will be broadcast on Sky Sports 3 tomorrow from 2pm-6pm.