Olympic target

The 30-year-old Durham City finance officer was so disappointed with his performance in the 2001 World Championships he lost his athletics motivation.

But a series of impressive victories has rekindled his enthusiasm - and after a runaway victory in the regional championships at Chester-le-Street he said: "What I am doing now could be a stepping stone towards the Olympics in Athens in 2004.

"That's what I have got to look at. I don't know if I have got the dedication and the ability to do it all again. But I don't want to sit down at the end of my career and regret missing out."

Openshaw, who left his home-town club, Chester-le-Street, to join big Midlands outfit Birchfield in search of greater competition, has represented Great Britain in the Europa Cup and World Championships.

He said: "I'm happy to have won my last three races and the performances were as good as were needed, but I am only 70 per cent of what I can be, though it is a step in the right direction."

Openshaw won his first North-East cross country title impressively, beating Morpeth's Mike Morris by an emphatic 38 seconds.

Several leading North-East runners were absent, including defending champion Andy Caine, who was running in the Reebok Cross Challenge in Edinburgh.

Caine is certain to be in the North-East team for the Inter-County Championships, which also serves as the World Cross Country Championships trial in February, but Openshaw could decline selection as he thinks ahead to the track season.

Durham City GP Rob Hand, the reigning British Veterans' cross country champion, finished third to become the first over-40 in living memory to claim a medal in the senior men's championship.

North-East exile Sonia Thomas, who works at Loughborough University and competes for Manchester club Sale Harriers, scored an equally comfortable victory in the senior women's race.

The former Wallsend runner left Jarrow and Hebburn's Claire Smallwood just before halfway.