DEFENDING champions Chester-le-Street are confident of retaining their title in today's North of England Four Stage Road Relays at Blackpool, despite being without two internationals.

The Cestrians, the first North-East women's team to win the National Cross Country Championship last year, will be without stalwarts Dianne Heneghan and Morag McDonnell.

Heneghan is unavailable because of family commitments, while former North-East cross country champion McDonnell is attending a wedding.

But coach Lindsay Dunn is confident that his charges will do well - especially with the prospect of rival clubs being weakened by Great North Run absentees.

"We are still taking a good team and I'm looking forward to a good performance," said Dunn, who has brought the best out of the powerful Chester-le-Street squad.

The team is Sarah Wilkinson, Maxine Czarnecka, Kathryn Waugh and Stephanie Robson, with former BUSA 10,000m champion Alyson Dixon as reserve.

The North-East could also be among the medals in the men's race, with Morpeth Harriers - a disappointing sixth in Warrington last year - sending a strong team, spearheaded by international Neil Wilkinson, the reigning North-East cross country champion.

Wilkinson is bang in form after finishing seventh in the big Bristol Half Marathon, where he won selection for Great Britain in a European international half marathon next month.

Wilkinson will be backed up by former Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist Mark Hudspith, ex-Northern junior 3,000m champion Nick McCormick, current North-East half marathon champion Terry Wall, John Mooney and Dan Samuels.

Morpeth, last year's Northern 12-Stage winners for the fifth consecutive year, last won the six-stage in 2000 by a record margin of nearly five minutes.

Morpeth's women's team is Raby Castle 10K winner Aiveen Fox, Sian Ellison, Danielle Watts and Gwenda Cavill.

Sunderland Harriers, looking for a top-six placing at Blackpool, call up veterans Brian Rushworth and Dave Robertson, the former London Marathon over-40 winner. Joining them are Mark Hood, Steve Potts, Mark Donkin and Patrick Martin.