FORMER Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist Mark Hudspith began his quest for a place in next year's Olympics with a record-breaking win in yesterday's Low Fell RC Gateshead 10K.

Since the birth of his first child, Andrew, six weeks ago, the 34-year-old Morpeth Harrier has put athletics on the back burner. But now he has elevated the challenge of winning selection for GB's marathon team in Athens to the top of his racing agenda.

Hudspith was far too strong for his rivals on the Team Valley Trading Estate, beating Durham undergraduate James Walsh by nearly a minute and clipping 65 seconds off the course record. The hot and humid conditions gave Hudspith his main problems.

He said: "I've only raced once in four months and I felt a bit rusty. The conditions were very difficult - it was so hot and it was nice running into the wind."

A mystery chest ailment, which has still not been properly diagnosed, forced Hudspith to drop out of last summer's Commonwealth Games marathon in Manchester - just a year after missing the World Championships in Canada through injury. Now he is hoping that a fast autumn marathon will win him Olympic selection.

He said: "I want to get back to race fitness and then have a real go at the marathon around October to get the Olympic qualifying time. I think that is much more realistic than running the 10,000m - I know I can't run the qualifying time. But I have a bit to make up. You can train as hard as you like, but there is no substitute for races." Hudspith's next test will be far more formidable when he takes on a host of top African and leading British runners in next Monday night's big Blaydon Race.

* Chester-le-Street's Great Britain international Dianne Heneghan finished third (9 mins 14.24 secs) behind top Russian Yelena Burykina (8:55.73) in the British Milers Club Nike Grand Pirx 3,000m at Wythenshaw.

Burykina will be defending her women's title in the Blaydon Race.

Low Fell RC Gateshead 10K (Team Valley): 1 M Hudspith (Morpeth) 31 mins 21 secs (course record); 2 J Walsh (Durham Univ) 32.19; 3 S O'Donnell (Chester-le-Street) 33.04; 4 R Hand (Durham City M40) 33.16; 5 M Donkin (Sunderland) 33.46; 6 S Potts (Sund) 33.54; 7 R Walker (North Shields Poly) 34.06; 8 M Slessor (Jarrow & Hebburn) 34.15; 9 P Besford (Gateshead) 34.29; 10 T Field (Sund) 34.51. M45 T Power (J&H) 36.26; M50 R Mowbray (Wallsend) 41,09; M 55 B Hume (Low Fell) 41.47; M60 R Moore (Tynedale) 43.38. Team: Sunderland 18 pts. Women: 1 S Morton (Elswick) 42.54; 2 Y Swinhoe (Elswick W45) 43.23; 3 J Heatherington (Unatt) 45.07. W35 J Bentham (Unatt) 58.51; W55 P Gold (Heaton) 49.57.