Richard Goodman helped Team GB juniors win gold at the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin.

The Maccabiah double gold medallist, 16, finished fifth in the Under 20 race. Always within the leading group until teammate James Wilkinson surged with 1 km remaining, Goodman finished the 6km race nine seconds behind winner Jeroen D’Hodet of Belgium.

Conceding three years to most of the 89 competitors from 22 countries, JFS pupil Goodman was the youngest runner in the race.

Goodman, who lives in Stanmore, said: “Because I had won the GB trial race I was in a good starting position and found myself at the front of the field during the first two 1km laps. It felt very comfortable and I was shocked to still be in the leading group with a mile to go.

“I realised that someone would put in a tough surge towards the end. I had thought beforehand that I would be happy with a top-20 finish so I was really pleased with how the race went. The whole weekend was a wonderful experience.”

Goodman plans to race only sparingly over the winter, with his main target being the World Cross Country Championships in Poland in March.