NEW RECRUIT Alison Dargie could make a winning debut in this afternoon's Norman Woodcock Memorial Road Race at Gosforth Park.

The 28-year-old Tyneside journalist, who joined Elswick Harriers after moving from Aberdeen, has shown great potential since taking up the sport just over a year ago and won the women's race in last weekend's DP Furniture North-East Harrier League at Sunderland.

Dargie is equally at home on the road, having clipped an eye-catching three minutes off her ten mile time in the Brampton-Carlisle race three weeks ago, and could pose a threat to defending champion, Sheila Allen, 18 years her senior, over a flat six-mile course today.

Last year's men's winner, David Anderson, who now runs for Belgrave after moving to work in London, had hoped to defend his title. But two weeks ago he was selected for the Great Britain team after finishing fifth in the European Cross Country Championships trial at Sefton Park, Liverpool, and has decided to save himself for the big occasion in Edinburgh a week tomorrow.

Of the 100 pre-race entries Morpeth Harrier Ivan Hollingsworth appears to have the best chance, though he could be challenged by the host club's Ryan McLeod, third last year.

McLeod, son of Olympic 10,000m silver-medallist Mike McLeod, will also be running at Holyrood next weekend as a member of the Great Britain junior men's team.

Elswick secretary Frank Watson is hoping that pre-race entries (£4 club members, £5 unattached) will see over 200 runners on the start line at 2pm.

* Paula Radcliffe has announced she will compete in the Spar European Cross Country Championships next weekend - a title she won five years ago.

Radcliffe delayed the confirmation of her participation after surprisingly finishing only third in her leg of the Chiba International Ekiden Relay in Japan last month.

The London Marathon winner was provisionally named in the side for Edinburgh, but given the final option of competing by the selectors.

Now after a series of tests to ascertain if there were any major problems, the Commonwealth 5,000 metres champion is happy with her health and fitness.

Looking forward to leading the Norwich Union Great Britain side to both individual and team medals, Radcliffe said: ''I know from Manchester and London the advantage of a home crowd."