FORMER London Marathon veteran champion Dave Robertson out-kicked and outsmarted his younger rivals to win the Elswick Harriers' Norman Woodcock Memorial six-mile road race at Gosforth Park, Newcastle.

The 44-year-old Sunderland Harrier avenged his defeat in the Gibside Road race last month by holding off clubmate Tom Doughty in an exciting finish.

Robertson - a late entry - disputed the lead with Doughty, who heads the North-East Harrier League over-40 table, Morpeth's Alan Shepherd and Michael Tomlinson, of Chester-le-Street, after the first of the two laps.

The four were jostling for position when Robertson suddenly made his break for glory 200 yards from home - and he caught his younger rivals flat-footed.

Robertson opened up a what was to prove decisive lead. Doughty, chasing hard, was gaining ground but ran out of distance as the Washington hotel porter crossed the finish line two seconds clear in a time of 31 mins 23 secs.

The fast-finishing Shepherd, in third place a second behind Doughty, had the consolation of leading Morpeth Harriers to team victory.

Sophie Milburn, who used to run for the host club before switching allegiances to Chester-le-Street, was an emphatic winner of the women's race, beating Wallsend's Lisa Walker by over two minutes

Results - Men: 1 D Robertson (Sunderland M40) 31.23; 2 T Doughty (Sund M40) 31.25; 3 A Shepherd (Morpeth) 31.26; 4 M Tomlinson (Chester-le-Street) 31.32; 5 D Purvis (Birtley) 32.01; 6 M McLeod (Elswick) 33.34; 7 P Dodd (Els) 34.26; 8 S Gray (Unatt) 34.30; 9 P Morgan (South Shield M45) 34.34; 10 A Jenkins (Morp M50) 34.40. M55 M Henderson (Blaydon) 41.09; M60 R Pinkney (South Shields) 42.13. Team: Morpeth 22 pts.

Women: 1 S Milburn (Chester-le-Street) 37.33; 2 L Walker (Wallsend) 39.46; 3 V Booth (Sunderland Strollers) 40.14. W35 G Miller (Alnwick) 44.54; W45 P Gold (Heaton) 47.59.Team: Wallsend.

Great Britain international Stephen Hepples made a rare appearance in the third North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League fixture at Thirsk Racecourse to win the 8K senior men's race by over a minute.

The 24-year-old former Loftus AC runner, now with British League club Newham and Essex Beagles, clocked a rapid 25 mins 56 secs as he beat ex-biathlon international Paul Lowe (North York Moors AC) by 74 seconds.

Richmond and Zetland's Richard Hunt was a further four seconds behind in third place.

There was a surprise in the 6K women's race when the defending champion, Bernadette Taylor, of Darlington, was beaten by veteran Rachel Ross-Russel (Richmond & Zetland).

Ross-Russel, an over-35, recorded a time of 19 mins 58 secs, 21 seconds quicker than her younger rival.

Race-walking international Johanna Jackson (Middlesbrough & Cleveland) was third in 20.56.

The 6K youths' race was won by Alec Duffield (Loftus) in a time of 19.10, 22 seconds clear of Middlesbrough Mandale's Jonathan Taylor, whose clubmate Adam Mitchell was third in 19.35.