REDCAR-BASED Stephen Hepples hopes a relaxing drive will erase memories of a recent nightmare car journey when he competes for England in tomorrow's Loughborough International.

The 25-year-old North-East half-marathon champion embarked on a five-hour drive to Twickenham this month to take part in his first outdoor test of the new season. But he had to pull out after four laps of the 3,000m.

"I was absolutely shattered after driving for nearly five hours and I won't make the same mistake again," said the 25-year-old North Yorkshireman, who competes in the British Athletics League for Newham and Essex Beagles.

This time his girlfriend, Cheryl Fowler, will be at the wheel and he hopes to arrive in Loughborough fresh and ready to run the 5,000m.

"Cheryl will be driving and we will give ourselves plenty of time," said Hepples, who won the AAA Indoor Championships 3000m bronze medal at Sheffield earlier in the year.

Last week Hepples cheered Cheryl on to the senior women's javelin silver medal in the North-East Championships at Gateshead and now he is hoping to follow her lead.

"I'm not setting myself any particular targets - I just want to see where I am at," he said.

"I will be racing against some top athletes and it will be a good test for me."

Hepples' main target this summer is likely to be the Commonwealth Games 5,000m trial, though the 10,000m is another option.

Also competing at Loughborough tomorrow is pole-vaulter Mark Christie, who set a senior men's championship record of 5.00m last weekend.

Now the Wearsider, who has a personal-best of 5.11m, has set himself a target of 5.30m, which would put him in the reckoning for selection for the European Under-23 Championships in Germany.

* Sunderland Harriers, spearheaded by double British Veterans cross country champion Brian Rushworth, could be among the medals in the National Veterans Road Relay Championships at Sutton Coldfield today.

The Wearsiders were eighth last year without Rushworth, who was injured. The ten-times North-East cross country champion will run the second of the eight three-mile legs at Sutton Park.

* Sunderland Harrier Tom Doughty is injured and unable to defend his title in tomorrow's Pier to Pier race from South Shields to Roker (10am).

Previous winners Tim Field (Sunderland), the course record holder, and Simon O'Donnell (Chester-le-Street) will be among the favourites. Sunderland's Michelle Holt defends her women's title.