GREAT BRITAIN international Stephen Hepples picked up his first North-East title and a first prize of £150 when he won yesterday's 23rd Redcar Half Marathon.

The 25-year-old Redcar-based runner decided to compete only a couple of hours before the event and was far too fast for his rivals, breaking away with a mile remaining and recording his second victory by 22 seconds.

Hepples, who has established himself as one of the UK's top racers over 13.1 miles, was never under threat, despite using the race as a training run.

He said: "I thought I would do the race instead of my normal long Sunday training session.

"The pace was pretty steady so I just sat in until the last mile."

He added: "I'm pleased I decided to run - I think it is important to support local races, especially when some are falling by the wayside."

The quality of yesterday's field was a big disappointment, despite the race including the area's half marathon championships, and in the absence of 2004 winner Terry Wall, Hepples was followed home by 21-year-old Lancaster and Morecambe runner Michael Aspinall.

Hepples' time of 68 mins 35 secs was nearly four minutes slower than his personal best, but he explained: "The time wasn't really important and I didn't try to do anything special - it was like a training run for me."

Mark Armstrong, in seventh place (71.17), led Hartlepool Burn Road Harriers to victory in the team race.

The women's winner also came from Lancaster. Louise Gardner, a 24-year-old physiotherapist, beat defending champion Bernadette Taylor, of Darlington, by 78 seconds.

Gardner had no North-East qualifications, however, so the regional championship was retained by 29-year-old Taylor, who is also the reigning North-East and North Yorkshire and South Durham cross country champion.

Taylor said: "I passed her at seven miles but the next thing I knew she was on my shoulder and then went clear - I just seemed to die.

"But I'm delighted to have retained my title, and to have finished another half marathon.

"I've had a really brilliant year and I couldn't really ask for anything more."

There was a mix-up in the women's team race when fourth-placed Michelle Holt was missed out of the results. But the error was rectified and a re-calculation gave the title to Sunderland Harriers - originally placed fifth - by nearly 200 points from North Shields Polytechnic.

A record field of nearly 1400 runners started the race, which used chip timing for the first time. The athletes wore micro-chips on their ankles and their placings were recorded automatically as they crossed special timing mats at the finish.

* Sunderland Harrier Brian Rushworth retained his British Masters cross country title in Bangor, Northern Ireland. The 42-year-old college lecturer, who won the North-East senior men's championship a record ten times, beat Staffordshire Moorlands' Andy Wilton by 12 seconds.

Morpeth's Walter Ryder won the over-65s, Ian Barnes (Darlington) won the silver medal in the over-70s, while Elswick's Jimmy Bell was third over-55.

* Shildon's Kate Avery, the North-East, Northern and National under-13 cross country champion, was fifth for Durham County racing against girls up to two years her senior in the English Schools Championships at Norwich.

Cleveland's Ricky Stevenson was second in the intermediate boys' race, while Northumberland's Ross Murray also took the silver medal in the junior boys' race.

Durham, led home by Newton Aycliffe's Lewis Moses in 20th place, were second team in the senior boys' race.

* Paul Tergat warmed up for next month's Flora London marathon with a half-marathon victory in Lisbon yesterday.

The Kenyan recorded a time of 59 minutes 09 seconds, a time only he has bettered for the distance.

Tergat 35, finished ahead of his Kenyan rivals Robert Cheruiyot and Wilson Kiprotich, who clocked lifetime bests of 59:20 and 59:25.

Susan Chepkemei, who on April 17 in London is planning to avenge her defeat by Paula Radcliffe in November's New York City marathon, also notched an impressive victory.

Chepkemei won in 68mins 49secs. She won ahead ahead of fellow Kenyan Margaret Okayo.