Commonwealth Games international Nick McCormick hits the road today in a bid to regain his form after a disastrous cross country run last weekend.

The former AAA 1500m champion found himself unable to cope with the muddy conditions in the Reebok Cross Challenge and European Cross Country Championships trial in Liverpool, finishing a disappointing 30th.

But the 25-year-old Morpeth Harrier aims to bounce back in the Warburtons Norman Woodcock Memorial six-mile road race in High Gosforth Park, Newcastle, this afternoon, an event which has, in the past, attracted top international runners.

The course record, 28 mins 20 secs, was set in 1990 by Great Britain international and Chicago Marathon champion Paul Davies-Hale, while Mike McLeod, of the host club, Elswick Harriers, won ten times.

Last year McLeod's son, Ryan, won the event but may be unable to defend his title after losing his shoes halfway round the course at Sefton Park and hurting his feet in a vain bid to win selection for the European Cross Country Championships under-23 team.

McCormick is much more at home on the road, having won last year's prestigious Leeds Abbey Dash 10K in a rapid 29.17 before going on to clock 28.57 finishing sixth in the Madrid 10K on New Year's Eve.

His coach, Lindsay Dunn, said: "Nick is in good shape but he just couldn't handle the mud last weekend. He wants another race to get over that disappointment."

Last year's women's winner at Gosforth, Elswick Harrier Judith Nutt, who finished runner-up in last month's Brampton-Carlisle road race, is holidaying in France and is unable to defend her title. But Chester-le-Street are expected to be out in force and former Great Britain international Dianne Heneghan will be one of the pre-race favourites.

Today's event starts at 2pm.

The third North Yorkshire and South Durham Harrier League meeting will be held tomorrow at Thirsk.

Jon Brown's training for the Fukuoka Marathon has gone so well he believes he can better his personal best for the distance tomorrow.

Britain's two-time Olympic finalist is aiming to improve on the 2:9:31 he clocked when finishing sixth in last year's Flora London Marathon.

The 35-year-old Canadian-based star has now fully recovered from illness and injuries and is enjoying a something of a renaissance since his return to racing.

''Training for Fukuoka has gone pretty well and I feel like it's been one of my better marathon preparations,'' said Brown, who only returned to top-level action at the BUPA Great North Run on October 1 and ran a very fast ten-mile time three weeks later at its sister race, the BUPA Great South Run.