TYNESIDE teacher Ian Hudspith ran the race of his life to finish third in the Reebok UK Inter-Counties Championships at Nottingham and clinch automatic selection for the World Cross Country Championships in Dublin next month.

The 31-year-old Morpeth Harrier was the surprise of the championships, which incorporated the UK trials, thrilling the 10,000 spectators as he beat defending champion Glynn Tromans and Hertfordshire's Matt Smith with a tremendous effort on the third and final lap of the 12-kilometre race to take the bronze medal.

Hudspith is well-known for his prowess on the track - he is a former AAA 10,000m champion - and the roads.

He was second the previous weekend in the Puma Classic 10K at Dewsbury, and this time produced a superb performance over the country as he followed home winner Sam Haughian and runner-up Matt O'Dowd, who had broken away.

"It was my best ever cross country race," said a delighted Hudspith, who helped the North-East finish joint second in the overall teams championship, which they had won nine times in the previous 12 years.

Elswick's Ryan McLeod - son of former Olympic Games 10,000m silver medallist Mike McLeod - finished eighth to lead the North-East to the Under-17 men's team championship, with Chester-le-Street's Chris Lambclose behind in ninth place, while the under-13 boys finished runners-up.

The region's women's teams won the silver medals in the Under-17 event, with former Junior Great North winner Charlotte Whickham third, and under-15 race.

l British Veterans' steeplechase champion Paul Merrison used his track speed to produce a winning finish in the North East Veterans' Cross Country Championships at Blaydon.

The Wallsend Harrier had a fierce tussle on the muddy, four-lap 10.4 kilometre course with Durham's Steve Everett and Dave Robertson (Sunderland) but managed to break away on the final circuit to win by ten seconds.

British Veterans' cross country champion Sheila Allen, 44, was again in sparkling form to successfully defend her over-40 title and lead Houghton and Peterlee to the team championship, finishing ahead of all her younger rivals, with Durham City's Caroline Ratcliffe - 101 seconds behind - taking the over-35 crown.

l Birtley AC won four of the five team titles in the annual Durham County Association of Clubs for Young People cross country championships at Aykley Heads, Durham, yesterday.

Blackhill Bounders' Ben Hannant, last year's under-15 champion, produced the best performance of the day as he moved up into the under-17 age group.

The 15-year-old St Bede's School, Lanchester, student broke away quickly to build up a ten second lead at the end of the first of the two laps and finished over 100m clear of second placed Matthew Armstrong (Blaydon) in the testing 5.8-kilometre event.

The closest finish came in the under-13 race, when National Association 800m track champion Richard Cunningham beat Birtley clubmate Mark Docherty right on the line.