ENGLAND internationals Mark Hood and Alyson Dixon are in top form going into today’s Northern Cross Country Championships at St Helens.

The Wearsiders both posted the fastest times helping their clubs, Sunderland and Chester-le-Street, regain their senior titles in last weekend’s Durham Cathedral Relays and travel to Sherdley Park with medal-winning ambitions.

Hood’s best performance in the Northerns was a fifth placing in 2004.

A recent more demanding change of training routine, when the 28-year-old teacher has worked with some of the North-East leading seniors, including Great Britain internationals Ian Hudspith, Ross Murray and Lewis Timmins, has boosted his hopes of a best-ever performance.

Hood’s only Sunderland team-mate on Merseyside will be Patrick Martin and they are not eligible for the six-to-count team event, in which Morpeth – led by Hudspith – are expected to be the region’s leading contenders.

Dixon will be hoping to help Chester-le-Street to regain the team title they won in 2006, having finished just outside the medals at Heaton Park, Manchester, last year.

Dixon, who won England recognition after setting a course record in the Darlington 10K last August, was seventh last year and will be looking to achieve a medalwinning position against the North’s top senior women.

Chester-le-Street will be without Scottish 4K cross country champion Freya Murray, but are travelling with a strong contingent, including Kathryn Foley (formerly Waugh), Maxine Czarnecka, Morag McDonnell, Angie Hunter, Claire Simpson and Steph Robson.

■ Andy Baddeley has been forced to withdraw from the New Balance Games in New York, where he was scheduled to defend his indoor mile title.

The world’s fastest miler last year had a fall during a training session this week and has pulled out of the meeting where he scored a thrilling victory last year.

On that occasion, at the Armory Track venue, Baddeley just held off New Zealander Adrian Blincoe by 0.69seconds in a time of three minutes 59.29seconds.

Baddeley’s manager, Nic Bideau, said it is only a minor setback for the Harrow runner, who recently defended his Bupa Great Edinburgh International Cross Country title despite being badly spiked on his right ankle during the race.

Bideau said: ‘‘He slipped on the ice in training on Tuesday and has a slight calf tear,’’ ‘‘It’s not serious, just a slight strain.”