THEY are not as fast as their namesakes, but Coe, Ovett and Bannister are determined to make a race of it when they take part in the Snail Derby next week.

They are training hard in the hope of being the first to leave a slimy trail past the winning post at Mount Grace Priory, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The trio are African land snails and for the first time they will be racing against their own offspring at the event.

All three snails, owned by Thirsk chef Barbara Matula, have produced young over the past few months.

Ms Matula acquired the three parents last year and admits that at first she was not very taken with them.

"At first I thought they were repulsive," she said.

"But I felt obliged to keep them and got used to their slippery ways. They have now hatched about 45 eggs and the babies that will be racing are about three months old."

She added: "Everyone asks me if, as a chef, I would be tempted to serve them up for dinner one evening - but I could never do that."

The Snail Derby takes place at Mount Grace Priory on Wednesday, from noon until 3pm, with races taking place every 30 minutes.

It is part of the annual Herriot Happenings, a week-long celebration of Herriot Country, which sees local attractions stage events during the half-term break. Leaflets are available from Thirsk tourist information centre or by visiting the website www.herriotdaysout.com