Leicestershire's venue for the English Schools Cross-Country Championships next March has had to be changed.

The massive event, which will feature hundreds of the best school-age athletes from all over the country, was originally scheduled to take place on grassland that forms part of the Donington Park motor-racing circuit.

However, the championships on Saturday, March 21, have been switched to Stanford Hall, Kegworth, because of work being carried out at the circuit ahead of the British Grand Prix which it is set to host in 2010.

Leicestershire's Ken Bray, the English Schools Athletic Association chairman, said Stanford Hall "ticked all the boxes".

Like the initial Castle Donington option, it is close to junction 24 of the M1 motorway and has ample car-parking areas to cope with up to 1,000 cars and 45 buses on the day.

In addition, there is the potential for an interesting course, which will be undulating and muddy, as well as providing a flat start.

The championships, whose past winners include athletes of the calibre of Paula Radcliffe, Peter Elliott and Mo Farah, are the second of two national schools events being held in the county over the next few months, the first being the 28th ESAA Sainsbury's English Schools Cross-Country Cup final at Shepshed High on Saturday, December 6.

The Cup is the premier schools team cross-country event in England with more than 8,000 school athletes taking part in the first round.

Five teams from Leicestershire qualified for the final by winning through the regional final at Beverley last weekend – and that number rose to six when Lutterworth High's junior girls were given a place by officials after a check of the results found in their favour.

Lutterworth High is the venue for the third Leicestershire & Rutland Secondary Schools Cross-Country League meet of the season tomorrow (first race 10.30am).