Morpeth Harriers hope to bridge a five-year gap when they send a strong team to the National Six-Stage Road Relay Championships at Sutton Coldfield today.

The Northumbrians won the event for the first and only time in 2000 and are expected to be among the medals after winning the Northern for the third year in succession at Blackpool this month.

Morpeth's hopes will be spear-headed by fast-rising Nick McCormick, who represented Great Britain over 1500m in the World Championships in Helsinki after heading the UK rankings for much of the summer, when he also won selection for the Commonwealth Games in Australia next March.

The 24-year-old Tynesider clocked the fastest time at Blackpool and last year at Sutton Park dramatically lifted Morpeth from 19th to second on the fourth leg with the second fastest circuit of the day, only for Morpeth to drop back to fifth place, three minutes behind winners Belgrave.

Only two members of that team - McCormick and former AAA half-marathon champion Ian Hudspith - will be in action today as Morpeth enlist the services of double North-East cross country champion Neil Wilkinson, Tom Ranger, Michael Morris and Chris Sampson.

Chester-le-Street, the 2003 champions, are still without Great Britain international Dianne Heneghan and former North-East cross country champion Morag McDonnell.

But they are led by former England Commonwealth Games international Sarah Wilkinson, the lead runner, who will be followed by the rapidly-improving Alyson Dixon, Kathryn Waugh and Stephanie Robson, and are looking to improve on their 11th placing last year.

* Gateshead International Stadium will again stage the English Schools Track and Field Championships next summer after hosting the prestigious event last year.

The stadium has also been chosen as the venue for the Norwich Union Grand Prix meeting on June 11.

* Former European 400 metres champion Iwan Thomas has been selected to represent Wales at next March's Commonwealth Games.

The 31-year-old has suffered a catalogue of injuries which have prevented him from recapturing the form which saw him clinch a Commonwealth and European double in 1998.

However, the former Olympic silver medallist has been given the opportunity to run in both the individual and relay events in Melbourne despite so far failing to achieve the qualifying standard.

He will be joined by Tim Benjamin, who finished fifth at the World Championships in Helsinki in August and is closing in on Thomas' British record of 44.36 seconds, set in 1997.

Matt Elias, Gareth Warburton and 400m hurdles prospect Rhys Williams make up the rest of the relay squad who will be looking to exact revenge on England who edged them out for victory in Manchester three years ago.

Christian Malcolm will contest both the 100m and 200m, Hayley Tullett will tackle the 800m/1,500m double, while Catherine Murphy takes on the 400m.