NEARLY 1,000 runners are expected to compete in tomorrow's annual Darlington 10K on a new, safer two-lap course.

Police had expressed concerns for the safety of athletes on the old route and have worked closely with Darlington Council officials to find a better course, which will also accommodate, for the first time, and junior run for 13-16 year olds over 3.5K.

The men's race promises to be a hard-fought affair between two Chester-le-Street AC members, defending champion Martin Scaife and North-East 10,000m track champion Stewy Bell.

And if Birchfield Harrier Michel Openshaw - who lives at Chester-le-Street - also decides to run, the sharp end of the race will be even more intriguing.

Former Mandale Harrier Scaife, who works in Darlington as a bakery manager, shot to prominence last year by inflicting a rare defeat on 11-times North-East cross country champion Brian Rushworth in the Aycliffe 10K, while Bell has hit a rich seam of form after recovering from a long-term back injury he aggravated in the 2000 London Marathon.

But Openshaw could outshine both if he enters on the day.

Openshaw, Great Britain's only 5,000m representative in last year's World Championships in Canada, switched from Chester-le-Street to Birchfield in search of greater track competition.

But since the birth of his son last November he has stepped down from international athletics and has taken part mainly in local events, turning his back on qualification for the Commonwealth Games.

It was Openshaw, the former National cross country champion, who ended Bell's eye-catching run of three road race successes - including the North-East ten-mile championship - by winning last month's Tynedale 10K and is unbeaten in regional road races this year, setting a course record in the Sunderland 5K two weeks ago.

Last year's women's winner was local athlete Bernadette Taylor, who went on to win the North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League senior title.

Her main challenger could be Tynesider Claire Smallwood, who added the North-East 10K road race title to her North Eastern Harrier League crown by winning the Morpeth 10K in midweek, while prolific racer Sheila Allen, a World Veterans double gold medallist, could also be a threat.

The 2K fun run (£2 entry) starts at 9.15am, the junior 3.5K race (£5) at 9.45am, while the main event (£8 club runners, £9 unattached) is scheduled for 10.30am.

* Morpeth Harrier Terry Wall won the North-East 10K road race championship with a comfortable victory in his club's annual road race, clocking 31 min 14 secs to beat teammate Ian Hollingsworth by nine seconds. Claire Smallwood (Jarrow & Hebburn) won the women's race in 34.52, beating Chester-le-Street veteran Heather Robinson by over two minutes.