FIRST-YEAR veteran Brian Rushworth proved that he can still show his younger rivals a clean pair of heels by winning his second race in a week on home ground on Wearside.

The 40-year-old Sunderland Harrier's latest success was in the Penshaw Hill Race when he beat off a surprise challenge from late-entry Michael Openshaw, who represented Great Britain in the last World Track and Field Championships in Canada.

The 31-year-old Birchfield Harrier, who lives in Chester-le-Street, made a valiant attempt to inflict a first defeat on the 11-times winner over the gruelling cross country course around Penshaw Monument.

But after taking an early lead and winning the prime prize for reaching the famous landmark first Openshaw - a former national cross country champion - veered off course, tripped into a hidden pot-hole and was overtaken by Rushworth, who charged on to win by ten seconds.

Rushworth, first veteran home in the big Blaydon Race earlier this month and winner of the Ryhope Parks race the previous week, admitted: "This was my toughest-ever race at Penshaw - it was an eyeballs-out job from start to finish and I'm delighted to have beaten an athlete like Michael Openshaw."

Openshaw, who has won a string of regional races this year, usually as a late entry, admitted: "Even if I hadn't stumbled I don't think I would have beaten Brian - he was flying up and down the hills and is a very difficult man to beat on a course like this."

Another veteran, 45-year-old Sheila Allen, fresh from her success in the Croxdale 10, notched up her sixth success in the women's race.

She took the prime prize and went on to beat Jarrow and Hebburn's Angela Hunter by 90 seconds.

* The North-East Veterans Athletics Association stages its annual track and field championships at Jarrow's Monkton Stadium today.