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.
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