THE region's last remaining ten mile road race - including the North-East championships - is "wide open" according to Tynedale 10 organiser Hugh Bingham.

The event, from Hexham to Ovingham, has already attracted over 500 entries, but defending champions Chris Sampson, of Morpeth, and Elswick's Judith Nutt, are absentees and more than half are unattached athletes.

"Looking through the list of runners there do not appear to be any outstanding entries and the race looks wide open," said Bingham.

The Tynedale race is the North-East's last ten-miler following the decision to change the popular Derwentside 10 next month into a multi-terrain 10K to cut spiralling costs.

Seen an an ideal preparation for athletes competing in the BUPA Great North Run, on September 30, the Tynedale 10 is particularly popular because most of the course is traffic-free and nearly 40 marshals will be on duty.

There will be special bonuses for anyone beating the course records of 48 mins 49 secs, set by Paul Cuskin and 56.19 by Lynn Harding in 1992. The race also incorporates the North-East Veterans' Championships.

Late entries will be taken at Hexham Leisure Centre from 9am and the race starts at 11am.

Chester-le-Street AC provided the first three women finishers and won both team events in the Watergate 5K road race.

Tracy Laws won in 18 mins 3 secs from clubmates Maxine Czarnecka (18.53) and veteran Heather Robinson (19.43).

The men's event was won by Morpeth Harrier Ivan Hollingsworth in 15 mins 14 secs, beating Chester-le-Street duo Chris Lamb (15.23) and Stewy Bell (15.34).

Morpeth Harrier Terry Wall will be attempting his fifth consecutive road race success in tomorrow's Billingham Marsh House Ray Harrison Memorial 10K following this summer's successes at Raby Castle, Newton Aycliffe, New Marske and Hetton Country Park.

World champion Christine Ohuruogu finished fourth, well beaten by Sanya Richards in their eagerly awaited 400 metres clash at last night's IAAF Golden League meeting in Zurich.

Richards clearly proved she would have been the gold medal favourite in Osaka had she not had an off day in the US Championships in June.

Her hopes were wrecked when finishing fourth in the first three-past-the-post trial race.

The 2005 world silver medallist lowered her world leader to 49.36 seconds, almost 15 metres clear of Novlene Williams and Amy Mbacke Thiam - who clocked 50.85 and 50.95 respectively.

Ohoruogu finished in 51.32sec.

Marathon runner Jon Brown will return to action in the BUPA Great Yorkshire Run in Sheffield tomorrow after being forced to pull out of the recent World Championships.

Brown, who lived in Sheffield from the age of 10 before taking up a US college scholarship eight years later, will compete over a 10-kilometre course on what he still considers his home patch, and is hoping for a decent display after a year ravaged by illness and injury.

''I feel I'm now getting better,'' said Brown, who returned to competition at the BUPA Great Wales Run in Cardiff five weeks ago. ''Things are progressing much better now and I feel I'm moving in the right direction.