THE Mayor of Farnham, John Ward, officially opened Potters Gate School’s new running track, in the presence of Olympic athlete and local girl Steph Twell.

Steph is a British, middle and long-distance runner having competed in the 1,500m at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the 5,000m at Rio this year.

The new all-weather single track was funded by the Friends of Potters Gate School (PTFA) and enables all the primary school’s children to run their mile a day, an initiative designed by the Sports Council to encourage children to keep fit and to keep childhood obesity at bay.

A recent report by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance has found that British children are among the least active in the world and Potters Gate children are keen to buck the trend.

Headteacher Jayne Venables said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer our children this amazing facility which they are all using and enjoying daily. To see an Olympic athlete running around with so many children today is quite exciting and is inspirational for our pupils.”

The Friends of Potters Gate volunteers were on hand to serve up hearty stew and bread to the adults and children who all took part in a celebratory lap or two of the track.

The proceeds from the refreshments were added to the money raised for Children in Need by the school through a whole school cake sale. To date, the amount raised stands at an £513.31.