POWERFUL road runner Stewy Bell notched up another impressive victory on the ladder back to full race fitness with a storming success in yesterday's Newton Aycliffe 3M Centenary 10K.

The 34-year-old Great Britain international went off hard from the gun and left his rivals trailing as he won by nearly two minutes from Durham City veteran Rob Hand.

Afterwards the Chester-le-Street ace - one of the region's top road racers before sustaining a serious back injury competing in the London Marathon two years ago - expressed his satisfaction at the way his recovery is progressing.

Bell, who finished 14th in the high-class Blaydon Race a week earlier, said: "I didn't feel at all tired after Blaydon and I'm pleased to say I don't have any problems now with my back."

Bell knows he still has someway to go before he gets back to his best - his winning time of 32 mins 7 secs was a minute and a half slower than clubmate Martin Scaife's clocking last year.

But while Scaife had to produce his best to beat renowned Sunderland Harrier Brian Rushworth - a Great Britain international - Bell ran alone against the clock.

Darlington Harrier Bernadette Taylor was also a comfortable winner of the women's race, beating clubmate Alison Raw by nearly a minute, with defending champion Sheila Allen in third place.

Taylor, the reigning North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League senior women's champion added the victory to her recent success in the Melmerby 10K.

* Morpeth Harrier Ian Hudspith is likely to join his elder brother, Mark, at the Commonwealth Games after finishing fourth and third Englishman in the 10,000m trial at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Mark has been picked for the marathon and Ian already had the qualifying time.