North-East hopes of a senior medal in today's National Cross Country Championships have been hit by the absence of former women's title-holders and newly-crowned Northern champions Chester-le-Street.

England's premier winter fixture comes too early for the Cestrians - winners at Parliament Hill in 2003 - and the region's leading men's contenders, Morpeth Harriers, have been unable to turn out a team capable of repeating their silver-medal success three years ago.

The area's best hopes of a senior individual medal would normally have included Great Britain international Andrew Caine, runner-up in 2003. But the Tynedale Harrier's winter season has been disrupted by a hernia operation and he is not expected to provide a serious challenge to the country's best cross country exponents.

The last North-East athlete to win the senior men's race was Elswick's Olympic Games 10,000m silver-medallist Mike McLeod in 1979, though Durham-based Dominic Bannister won wearing the colours of Shaftsbury-Barnet in 1998. The Teesside University physiotherapy graduate will be on the starting line today along with reigning North-East champion David Wardle, who works in London, and the fast-improving Sunderland Harrier Mark Hood.

With Chester-le-Street unable to send a women's team, Durham City's Rosie Smith will be shouldering the North-East's hopes of success in the senior women's race.

Smith was a convincing winner of the North-East title at Bishop Auckland in December and the Edinburgh University undergraduate was fifth in last weekend's Scottish Championships. Also expected to be at the sharp end of the race will be former Wallsend Harrier Sonia Thomas, bronze medallist wearing the vest of Sale Harriers in the Northern Championships at Blackburn last month.

The region's main medal hopes, however, could rest with athletes in the younger age groups, with Morpeth Harriers determined to add to their under-20 men's team success in the Northern Championships.

Gateshead Harrier Ross Murray will be seeking a hat-trick of gold medals in the under-15 boys' race after winning the North-East and Northern championships.

Despite the absence of many senior runners, over 200 athletes will represent clubs in the region.

* The sixth a final Start Fitness North-East Harrier League fixture on Saturday, April 1, has been switched from Prudhoe to the Shibdon Pond course at Blaydon.