STEPHEN Hepples, fast establishing himself as the North-East's leading distance runner, is likely to switch from the roads to a mix of cross-country and indoor athletics this winter.

The 24-year-old North Yorkshireman, who competes in the British League for Newham and Essex Beagles, led the Great Britain team home in 12th place on his senior debut in the big Reims Half Marathon, which attracted a 15,000-strong field at the weekend.

Hepples was initially disappointed with his time of 65 mins 26 secs and his placing in the cold and windy conditions. But he was a lot happier on his return to his home in Redcar yesterday.

He said: "It's all about learning and on reflection I enjoyed the experience.

"I had set my sights on a top-ten placing but the pace over the first kilometre was eyeballs-out with about 20 Kenyans in a big group.

"I thought about going with them but I was cautious and decided to head the chasing pack, which included the Great Britain team.

"I led the group for about ten kilometres and I asked others around me to do some of the work.

"It became a race within a race and I badly wanted to be the first GB runner to finish - over the final 800 metres I managed to get clear."

He added: "A lot of the runners who were initially in the first group paid the price and dropped back in the later stages - I passed three or four Kenyans towards the finish."

Hepples agrees with his coach, Peter Clifford, that he should now have an easy three weeks before finalising his winter programme.

He said: "This winter I think I might aim at the indoor circuit at home and abroad - I enjoyed it last year when I raced three times indoors over 3,000m.

"But I am not ruling out running cross country - we will see how things go."

Hepples, who led the North-East into second place in the Inter Counties 10K Championships at Auckland Castle in August, may decide to challenge Morpeth Harrier Neil Wilkinson - a GB team-mate in Reims - for his North-East Cross Country title at Meadowfield on December 11.