NORTH Yorkshire athlete Richard Buck is following in his mum's spike-marks.

The Yorkshire Under-15 runner from Pickering has had a tremendous season and will be representing the county in the Northern Inter Counties meeting at Scunthorpe on Saturday.

He is coached by his mum, Karen, who, as Karen Baraclough set a York Schools record as a 16-year-old in 1980 of 24.6secs for the 200m and was an English Schools champion at 100m.

She still runs and will be in action at the Yorkshire Veterans' Championships at the South Leeds Stadium in September.

Richard, a student at Lady Lumley's School, was travelling from his home in Ruffa Lane to train with Scarborough Harriers.

But he has now switched to join York-based Nestl Rowntree AC, Karen's club, who train at Huntington Stadium.

Richard is making rapid strides through the ranks.

He was runner-up in the Yorkshire Championships, represented North Yorkshire in the English Schools Championships in Exeter and was sixth in the final of the AAA's National Championships at Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium.

His 400m personal best time is 53.16secs.

Younger brother James, who is eight, also enjoys his athletics with Nestl Rowntree AC.

Updated: 09:46 Saturday, August 18, 2001