NEARLY 700 athletes will observe a minute’s silence before setting off on the annual Heaton Harriers Memorial 10K on Newcastle’s Town Moor tomorrow morning.

For the first time the organising club – which only charges club runners an entry fee of £10 – is introducing special bonus payments of £200 on top of the men’s and women’s winners’ £150 for any victors breaking the records set last year on the traffic-free course.

The men’s mark of 29 mins 56 secs set by former Elswick Harrier Ryan McLeod – now with Midlands club Tipton – and the women’s record of 34 mins 46 secs was clocked by Sunderland Strollers’ Great Britain marathon international Alyson Dixon, who is again on the entry list.

McLeod also won last year’s BUPA Great North 10K in Newcastle, and has been racing over longer distances recently, finishing fourth in last month’s Cardiff Half Marathon and ninth in the BUPA Great South 10 miler in Portsmouth.

Dixon, now a 35-year-old veteran, has gradually regained race fitness after being forced to limp out of the Commonwealth Games marathon in Glasgow at the end of July, has been competing in cross country and parkrun events after returning to the roads in the BUPA Great North Run in September, when she ran with the masses, finishing 23rd woman.

There is a full programme for the younger age groups and the race schedule is – 9.30am Mini-minor under-11 boys and girls (1K); 9.40 under-13 boys and girls (3K); 9.55 under-15 boys and girls (3K); 10.10 under-17 men and women and under-20 men and women (5K); 11.01 Senior men and women (10k).

Organisers of the 16th Maltby seven mile road race, near Thornaby tomorrow (11am start) have warned competitors that anyone wearing earpods will, for safety reasons, be disqualified.