MALVERN schoolgirl Sofia Cupper recently competed in the Scottish round of the Mud Runner adventure trail race series.

Cupper, who is 10 years old and a student at The Downs, Malvern, was the only junior competing in the adult 10km event.

Undeterred by the chest-deep mud and near-freezing temperatures that greeted her, Cupper put in a sterling effort to outperform the majority of the adult competitors.

More than 300 competitors that took part and Cupper claimed an amazing finishing time of one hour 22 minutes to be the 23rd female to complete the course.

Cupper’s achievement was made even more remarkable because she had been playing in a hockey tournament in Colwall the day before and did not arrive in Scotland until late the night before the race after a mammoth non-stop drive.

Following her completion of the race, Cupper was asked, if it was worth all of the travelling to compete, she replied: “absolutely!”

Cupper, who trains for her cross-country running at school and with Malvern Joggers Juniors, is already preparing for the next round which will be held at Herefordshire’s Eastnor Castle later this month.