SPLASH and dash was the order of the day as more than 100 pupils dove straight into the Ulverston Leisure Centre Primary Schools Aquathlon.

Year 5 and 6 children from six schools took the plunge on a cool day in South Cumbria – sprinting through 25m in the pool before completing an outside lap of the cricket pitch.

It was a tough test for the youngsters, with members of Ulverston Triathlon Club on hand to guide them and give advice.

The mass of swirling arms and legs following the start of the swimming leg indicating both determination and speed as they set out about their task.

Schoolmates cheered them from the side of the pool on in a cauldron of raucous noise, with class-mates setting off alongside each other and each to be given a time when they crossed the eventual finish line.

One they reached the end of their one-length dash, the children from Yarlside, Croftlands Juniors, Pennington, Low Furness, Penny Bridge and Sir John Barrow schools face perhaps the toughest part of their trip.

The transition from swimming to running was dealt with in many different ways.

Before the start, some cunning kids could be seen dusting the inside of their trainers with talc, allowing them to more easily slip on their shoes ready to dash outside.

Others battled away with their footwear – some doing up their laces while classmates shouted at them to tuck them inside their shoes instead to save time – and some even emerged from the pool with t-shirts in hand, being pulled on as they scampered around the cricket pitch. Some others came out with simply swimsuits and trainers on – anything to gain those extra seconds, though surely a little chilly in the autumnal air. Goggles and swim caps often stayed in place.

Ulverston Leisure Centre's Hannah Paling said: “They have to out shoes and t-shirts on and then go. It can all come down to how quickly they are then.”

Being fastest out of the pool did not necessarily mean you would be fastest out on to the run, and likewise the first children to start stretching their legs outside were not always the first home come the finish.

There were some impressive displays as the youngsters kicked up the recently mown grass, many crossing the line with green legs decorated with cuttings and creating more than a passing resemblance to those sported by the Grinch or Fungus the Bogeyman.

Some speedsters raced past their classmates, though those who were battling to finish, where more members of Ulverston Tri Club noted down their times and awarded medals, were assured of a warm welcome from their fellow racers, who cheered them all the way home.

All that action, sometimes in less than two minutes.