FORMER North-East half marathon champion Martin Scaife finished over a minute clear of the rest of the field in a "dress rehearsal" for next month's North-East Cross Country Championships at Hartlepool last Sunday.

The Chester-le-Street AC runner again ran as a guest in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League on Sunday and recorded a second victory following his success two weeks earlier at Barnard Castle.

But yesterday's win was more important to Scaife because the gruelling course over fields around the English Martyrs School will be used to host the region's annual championships on December 9.

Another athlete who tested herself out on the Hartlepool course was Marie Stansmore, who will be defending her North-East senior women's title next month.

Despite doing the wrong way the Middlesbrough and Cleveland Harrier beat clubmate Carolyn Summersgill by a comfortable 44 seconds. Stansmore, who missed the opening meeting at Barnard Castle now intends to run the rest of the NYSD fixtures in a bid to hold on to the championship she won last season from England international Kerry Matthew.

Senior Men (9.5K): 1 M Scaife (Chester-le-Street, guest) 31 mins 30 secs; 2 P Bentley (Middlesbrough and Cleveland) 32.39; 3 R Cole (Mandale) 33.12; 4 S O'Grady (New Marske) 33.25; 5 P Lowe (Mandale) 33.33; 6 A Stimpson (New Marske) 33.45; 7 I Cook (Hartlepool Burn Road V40) 33.47; 8 S Dickinson (New Marske) 33.49; 9 A Capel (Knavesmire) 34.09; 10 I Monkman (Newton Aycliffe) 34.27.

Under-17 Men (6.7K): 1 S Wardman (Richmond and Zetland) 24.58; 2 N Williams (Mandale) 24.59; 3 A Tate (Mandale) 25.00; 4 P McNally (Mandale) 25.29; 5 S Bates (Middlesbrough and Cleveland) 25.56.

Under-15 Boys (3.6K): 1 R Hughes (Mandale) 13.41; 2 N Zissler (Richmond and Zetland) 13.53; 3 S Murphy (R&Z) 14.08; 4 J Rafferty (Mandale) 14.13; 5 P Conley (Scarborough) 14.17.

Under-13 Boys (3.2K): 1 A Duffield (Loftus) 13.45; 2 P Fitzpatrick (R&Z) 14.05; 3 A Thompson (Shildon) 14.34; 4 M Hewitson (Shildon) 14.40; 5 T Gill (R&Z) 14.50.

Senior Women (4.6K): 1 M Stansmore (M&C) 18.12; 2 C Summersgill (M&C) 18.56; 3 J Jackson (New Marske) 19.04; 4 B Taylor (Darlington) 19.22; 5 C Robson (Teesdale) 19.27.

Under-15 Girls (3.6K): 1 S Hart (M&C) 15.51; 2 J Laws (Quakers) 15.55; 3 A Kirby (Mandale) 16.13; 4 S bates (M&C) 16.53; 5 R Lightfoot (Loftus) 16.55.

Under-13 Girls (3.2K): 1 Z Verrill (Mandale) 14.52; 2 P Wilson (New Marske) 15.07; 3 P Rodgers (Loftus) 15.20; 4 J Gibson (Teesdale) 15.39; 5 A Robinson (R&Z) 15.52