PROLIFIC competitor Stewy Bell - battling back after injury - faces a busy weekend with two races in less than 24 hours.

The 36-year-old Great Britain international will line up for his second Reebok Cross Challenge event of the new season in Birmingham today and has also entered for tomorrow's popular Black Hill Bounders Fruit Bowl Seven at Gibside, hoping to improve on his second place last year.

The Chester-le-Street AC stalwart races just about every weekend and is back to his best after recovering from a troublesome leg problem, a niggling legacy from the 2000 Flora London Marathon when he aggravated a back injury.

Bell was a recent runaway winner of the gruelling Derwentside 10, when he clocked a faster time than he did finishing second the previous year, and he switched back to the country the following weekend, finishing first North-East competitor in 17th place in the opening Reebok Cross Challenge in Falkirk.

A week later he was back on the country, leading home the fast-pack in the opening North-East Harrier League fixture at Meadowfield, where he clocked the second fastest time of the day behind clubmate Martin Scaife.

Another athletics enthusiast who delights in competing every week, despite her 46 years, Sheila Allen, will be favourite to win again at Gibside, where she completed a hat-trick of victories last year.

The Houghton and Peterlee runner, second in last Saturday's Harrier League senior women's race, recently retained her title in the Richmond Castle 10K, beating younger rival Alison Raw (Darlington) by six seconds.

The popular Gibside event - regarded as one of the most picturesque in the North-East - has attracted over 400 entries and none will be accepted on the day.

* European junior champion Charlotte Dale will deliberately compete against older rivals in today's Reebok Cross Challenge in Birmingham.

Dale, the brightest young prospect since Paula Radcliffe, comes up against familiar faces at the midlands venue.

Dale, 19, said: ''I become a senior in the new year, so I'd like to finish as high as possible on Saturday to get a good start in the rankings.''