UP-AND-COMING Sunderland Harrier Mark Hood fulfilled an ambition by beating one of the North-East's top road racers, Stewy Bell, for the first time as he led from start to finish in yesterday's Chester-le-Street 10K.

But although the 21-year-old university undergraduate clipped nearly a minute off his personal best he was disappointed to miss the qualifying mark for the British Universities 10,000m track championships in May by only nine seconds.

Hood, who first sprang to prominence as a surprise winner of the North-East 10K Road Race Championship last year, had hoped to clock the required 31 minutes on the difficult riverside course, but as well as holding off a challenge from Great Britain international Bell he found himself having to dodge pedestrians using the same paths as the athletes.

Another Wearsider, Alyson Dixon, 14, made it a double for Sunderland by winning the women's race.

Results - Senior Men (10K): 1 M Hood (Sunderland) 31.09; 2 S Bell (Chester-le-Street) 31.20; 3 D Swinburne (Morpeth) 31.36; 4 I Crampton (Durham City M40) 32.32; 5 G Sharp (Morp) 32.36; 6 P Johnson (Morp M40) 32.41; 7 A Lilliendale (Sund) 32.49; 8 J Armitage (Dur C) 33.03; 9 L Atkinson (Morp M40) 33.11; 10 J Moore (Heaton) 33.15. Teams: 1 Morpeth 14; 2 Sunderland 19; 3 Durham City 32.

Senior Women (5K): 1 A Dixon (Sunderland University) 19.03; 2 A Watson (ClS) 19.13; 3 S Crowe (Elswick U17) 19.26; 4 C Bowman (ClS W35) 19.53; 5 V Raw (ClS) 20.33. Teams: 1 Chester-le-Street 11; 2 Birtley 42.

Under-17/20 Men (5K): 1 C Lamb (ClS) 16.00; 2 P Martin (Sund) 16.04; 3 G Massingham (Sund) 16.15; 4 N Younger (Sund) 16.25; 5 A Holiday (Trafford U17) 16.38.

Under-15 Boys (3K): 1 J Young (Morp) 10.01; 2 S Watson (Gates) 10.10; 3 R Floyd (Morp) 10.18. Team: Gateshead 16.

Under-13 Boys (2K): 1 J Gibson (Gates) 8.24; 2 R Cunningham (Birtley) 8.34; 3 M Foggin (Sund) 8.41. Team: Gateshead 25.

Under-15 Girls (3K): 1 V Angus (Houghton & Peterlee) 11.52; 2 L Dodsworth (Gates) 12.41; 3 N Douglas (Gates) 12.53. Team: Houghton & Peterlee 12.

Under-13 Girls (2K): 1 S Coleby (Dur C) 9.36; 2 A Reed (Gates) 9.43; 3 S Crowell (Jarrow & Hebburn) 9.47. Team: Durham City 20.