GUISBOROUGH schoolteacher Rob Holladay is all set to run the London Marathon in a bid to gain a full senior international vest.

Holladay, who teaches at Laurence Jackson school, is stepping up his training in a bid to finish among the top ten British runners in the race, which celebrates its 21st birthday in April.

He has revelled in the all-consuming sport from the age of eight and believes he benefited from training with British distance stars Paula Radcliffe and Jon Brown while at Loughborough University.

He now trains at Clairville Stadium in Middlesbrough alongside Great Britain's 5000m international Mike Openshaw and has linked up with top coach Gordon Surtees.

While studying at Loughborough, Holladay became the AAA Under-20 5000m champion and British Universities 10,000m gold medal winner.

Over the last couple of years he has made significant progress, winning a string of 10k events and impressing on both the road and track.

Holladay says he harbours long term ambitions to win a senior international vest and feels his best hope of realising this ambition lies in the London Marathon, which he thinks he is capable of running in two hours 18 minutes.

Junior Football

NORTHALLERTON Corinthians Under-11s kept their winning run going on Sunday, defeating Barnard Castle 7-1 in a Richmond and District League match.

A hat-trick by Joe Bennett and strikes by captain Tim Hall, Jason Bradley, Daniel Fox and man of the match Lewis Harrison preserved their 100pc record this season.