ENERGETIC children enjoyed a giant school sports event held over two nights this week.

Children from 60 schools in County Durham took part in Warrens Durham Dash! and Sedgefield Dash! – an initiative by Durham and Chester-le-Street School Sport Partnership and Sedgefield School Sports Partnership to encourage youngsters to participate in sport.

More than 1,000 pupils qualified for the finals at Beamish Museum on Tuesday and Hardwick Park on Wednesday, which saw seven to 11-year-olds run, jump and throw in a series of events.

Mark Blackbourne, Dash! event director, said: “Once again, the Warrens Durham and Sedgefield Dash! events have been brilliantly supported by schools throughout the county. The children were clearly really relishing the opportunity to compete and we hope that events like this will set them up for a lifelong love of participation in sport. Beamish Museum was an excellent new venue and it was great to return to Hardwick Park again too. Of course, the Dash! is only possible because of the work done by the school sport partnerships, and the support of our sponsors – many thanks to all of them.”