Chester-le-Street AC will go into the defence of their AAA Four-Stage Road Relay championship at Sutton Coldfield today without two of their star runners.

The Cestrians, who became the first North-East club to win a national title when they went home with the English Cross Country Championship trophy last year, travel to the Midlands without stalwarts Morag McDonnell and Sarah Wilkinson.

Former North-East cross country champion McDonnell twisted her knee getting out of her car, while Wilkinson - wife of Great Britain distance runner and reigning North-East cross country champion Neil Wilkinson - has been unable to shrug off a painful foot injury.

Their places will be taken by Stephanie Robson and Alyson Dixon, and team manager Lindsay Dunn is upbeat about Chester-le-Street's chances.

"Of course it is disappointing to go into the event without Sarah and Morag but it is still a good team," he said.

"The girls will be challenging for medals for sure - a lot depends on who else turns out. Other teams might have had similar problems."

Chester-le-Street are buoyed by the return of their most consistent performer, Great Britain international Dianne Heneghan, who ran the fastest time in Sunday's Blaydon Relays.

The 39-year-old mother-of-four cut down on athletics after suffering a family bereavement, but is now hoping to repeat the form which helped Chester-le-Street win two national titles in 2003.

"It was good to get out again," she said at Blaydon. "Now I'm looking forward to competing in a major event again."

The other member of the Chester-le-Street squad, Kathryn Waugh, had been disappointed with her recent performances, but ran the second fastest time at Blaydon on her preferred surface and is hoping to transfer her form to the road at Sutton Coldfield.

Northern champions Morpeth, challenging for their first-ever National Six-Stage title, welcome back former AAA half-marathon champion Ian Hudspith, who had not raced since the London Marathon in April before testing himself at Blaydon.

The 33-year-old Tyneside teacher, who has been troubled by Achilles and knee injuries, said: "It was good to be racing again and I feel ready to step up a gear."

He will be joined by elder brother Mark, the former Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist, in a powerful Morpeth team which also includes the up-and-coming Dan Samuels, former Peterborough 80m track specialist Tom Ranger, North-East half marathon champion Terry Wall and former Northern junior 3000m champion Nick McCormack. Absent will be Wilkinson, who has not recovered from his Great Britain duties in the Reims International Half Marathon.