A TEENAGER has thrown, leapt and run his way to glory after he was crowned Yorkshire pentathlon champion.

Josh Bentley, 13, of Harrogate Grammar School, won the Yorkshire Championships, staged recently in Barnsley.

He completed the 80m hurdles in 13.5 seconds, threw the shot 8.45m, covered 5.45m in the long jump and 1.46m in the high jump, and completed the 800m in two mins 27.7 secs.

His points tally put him in first place, and he has now been selected for the Yorkshire Development Squad for multi-events.

He said: "I was the youngest, competing against people who were a year older than me and I won, so I was really happy."

Ruth Curtis, Harrogate Grammar School's head of sport, said: "The pentathlon is one of the most challenging disciplines because the athlete has to be strong in so many areas.

"Josh has done incredibly well to become Yorkshire champion against tough opposition who were much older than him and, therefore, more developed.

"He is not only physically adept, but also mentally strong, which is crucial."