NATIONAL women's cross country champions Chester-le-Street switch their impressive talents to the road as they try to score a first victory in the North of England Four Stage Relay Championships at Warrington today.

The Cestrians became the first women's outfit to bring a national team title back to the North-East when they won at Parliament Hill Fields in April, and followed up by winning the Northern six-stage relays in Blackpool.

Now they switch their attentions to the four-stage event in Birchfield Park and the squad, coached by Lindsay Dunn, will be at full strength for the quest.

Chester-le-Street will be led by 38-year-old mother-of-four Dianne Heneghan, whose eye-catching progress over the previous year was rewarded by Great Britain selection for the European Cross Country Championships in Croatia.

She will be backed by former North-East cross country champion, Morag McDonnell, former junior international Ruth Brown, and the in-form Kathryn Waugh as they take on the North's top women's outfits, Sale, Salford and Liverpool.

The main North-East hopes in the six-stage men's championships lie again with Morpeth, runners up to Salford at Liverpool last year.

The Northumbrians have great strength in depth, as they proved by winning the Northern 12-Stage Championships for a fourth time in April, but will be without their top runners, Mark and Ian Hudspith.

Sunderland Harriers suffered a severe blow when club captain Tim Field tripped over a dog while training, breaking his arm.

The Wearsiders, with other casualties and absentees, are unable to turn out a team.

* Sunderland begin the defence of their DP Furniture North-East Harrier League senior men's title at Durham on Saturday, October 25.

The other fixtures are: November 29 Farringdon; January 31 Chester-le-Street; February 14 Consett; February 28 Prudhoe; March 7 Blaydon.

South Shields Harriers will host the annual Sherman Cup fixture at Temple Park Leisure Centre on Saturday, November 22.