Rosie aims to bloom in Cardiff (From The Northern Echo)

Rosie aims to bloom in Cardiff

9:00am Saturday 14th January 2012 in Athletics News By Frank Johnson

DURHAM City's North-East cross country champion Rosie Smith, fresh from her senior Great Britain debut in last weekend's big BUPA Great Edinburgh International, represents the North of England in the McCain Cardiff Cross Challenge tomorrow.

The 26-year-old winner of last summer's Darlington and Tees Pride 10K road races is having one of her best-ever cross country seasons since winning junior Great Britain honours in the World Cross Country Championships in 2004.

Smith was a close runner-up in the Scottish 4K cross country championships in November and last month won back her North-east title from Teessider Kirsty Legg at Cramlington before winning full international recognition at Holyrood, where she finished 18th in a top class field.

Smith was bronze medallist when the Northern Cross Country Championships were held in Sunderland last year and she will be hoping to improve in this year's championships at Pontefract on January 28 and win selection for the Lotto Cross Challenge in Belgium on February 12.

The North of England Indoor Championships for all age groups will be held in Sheffield today and tomorrow.

Durham County Schools stage their annual cross country championships at Meadowfield today.