Redcar-BASED Stephen Hepples flew the flag for the North-East when he ran the fastest short leg in the National 12-Stage Road Relay Championships at Sutton Coldfield.

The 25-year-old Teesside finance officer ran 14 mins 15 secs for the 5K circuit, lifting his British Athletics League club, Newham and Esseex Beagles, from 17th place to 13th, and they made further progress to finish seventh behind winners Belgrave Harriers.

Hepples, who also ran the fastest short-leg in this month's Southern Championships, picked up his first North-East title when he won the Redcar Half Marathon last month, and went on to further success in the Wallsend 10K two weeks ago.

Hepples' quick run was the only satisfaction for the North-East at Sutton Park, where the seriously depleted Northern champions, Morpeth, could only finish 10th.

And Chester-le-Street, runners-up in the Northern women's championships at Manchester, slipped to ninth without the services of star runner Morag McDonnell, who is training at altitude with clubmate Alison Dixon in Boulder, Colorado.

Morpeth were not expected to battle their way into the medals after losing the services of top short-leg runner Nick McCormick, who is also with Chester-le-Street coach Lindsay Dunn's squad in the United States.

The Northumbrians were also without double North-East cross country champion Neil Wilkinson, nursing blisters after his efforts in the previous weekend's Flora London Marathon.

But Morpeth's fast-improving Dan Samuels made his mark on the second leg, lifting his team from 11th to 3rd with the eighth fastest run of the day. The Northern champions briefly hit the front, thanks to Martin Scaife and Steve Platts on the third and fourth legs, but then dropped back to tenth.

The North-East's other representatives, Sunderland and Gateshead, finished 27th and 40th, while Chester-le-Street, with an incomplete team, were 56th after ten legs.