FORMER North-East 800m champion Tommy Brannon came out of a ten-year exile from athletics to win yesterday's Heaton Memorial 10K road race on Newcastle Town Moor.
The North Shields Polytechnic athlete was one of the region's leading middle-distance runners, winning the North-East two-lap title in 1989, and he only decided to take up the sport again this summer after a decade on the sidelines.
But 37-year-old Brannon was able to draw on his old track speed to beat young rival John Murray in a thrilling sprint finish over the final 100 yards.
Murray, studying at Newcastle University, had looked a likely winner when he opened up a 30-metre lead at the end of the first of two laps. But he was caught in the difficult, windy conditions by Sunderland veteran Dave Robertson - a former London Marathon over-40 winner - and Brannon as the three disputed the lead.
Murray made an unsuccessful attempt to break clear with 800 metres remaining, but Brannon was quickly on his shoulder and made his own bid for glory over the final 100 metres, sprinting hard to a three-metre victory.
A delighted Brannon said: "I've been out of athletics for about ten years and it's a tremendous thrill to win a race after all this time away."
Brannon had been beaten into third place by Robertson in the Gibside Seven Mile trail race a week earlier, but was much happier on the paths of the Town Moor and avenged his defeat.
The women's race was won by Australian Lauren Shelley, who beat defending champion Angela Hunter by nearly four minutes.
The 27-year-old, who has been on a six-month working holiday in London, travelled from a short break in the Lake District to compete in the Tyneside race before returning to her home in Perth.
She said: "I have enjoyed running in England but now the winter is setting in I'm looking forward to going back home for a bit of sunshine."
Results - Men: 1 T Brannon (North Shields Poly) 33.21; 2 J Murray (Newcastle Univ) 33.22; 3 D Robertson (Sunderland M40) 33.29; 4 P Newton (Claremont) 33.50; 5 S Laws (Chester-le-Street) 34.49; 6 M Hann (Durham Univ) 35.17; 7 S Hilton (Blaydon M40) 35.18; 8 P Addyman (Clare) 35.21; 9 D Embleton (Wallsend M40) 35.30; 10 A Lawrence (Dur Un) 35.47/ M45 D Anderson (Walls) 36.51; M50 C Dentice (Morpeth) 36.39; M55 S White (Elswick) 35.55; M60 M Walker (Gosforth) 40.29. Teams: 1 Durham University 49 pts; 2 Elswick 72; 3 Morpeth 73.
Women: 1 L Shelley (Ranleigh) 36.31; 2 A Hunter (Jarrow & Hebburn) 40.14; 3 E Whitehouse (Dur Un) 41.12; 4 H Lambert (NSP W45) 42.27; 5 L Marr (Tynedale W40) 42.44. W35 S Hunter (Blyth) 44.47. Teams: 1 North Shields Poly 32; 2 Heaton 36; 3 Newcastle University 41.
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