BRITISH Athletics League newcomers Gateshead Harriers will find their competition resources stretched to the limit when they make their National League 3 debut at Rugby today.

The flourishing Tyneside club, which won promotion last season to become the North-East's only representatives in the UK's top divisions, find themselves with three men's fixtures in the space of 24 hours - their BAL match and a North of England Division One fixture at Wakefield today and a National Junior Northern Premier League engagement at Gateshead International Stadium tomorrow.

Some of the under-20 athletes will be competing twice in two days, but Gateshead will manage to field full teams in all three matches.

Senior men's manager Jeff Sturrock admitted: "It's become a juggling act to fill all three teams this weekend and it's unfortunate the junior league fixture happens to be on the same weekend as our debut in the British League.

"But the clash happens only once this season, so we have to be grateful for that. It's been a bit of a headache but hopefully things will turn out all right."

Gateshead's British Athletics League opponents will be Rugby & Northampton, Basingstoke & Mid Hants, Derby, Kingston & Polytechnic, Medway & Maidstone, Notts AC and Team Southampton. The match is part of the UK Challenge, which offers a £100 prize for the outstanding performance.

Morpeth Harrier David Riley ran a personal-best 47.87 secs to win the 400m silver medal in the British Universities Championships at Birmingham.

Elswick stalwart Jimmy Bell was runner-up in the over-55 section of the Flora London Marathon in a time of 2 hours 47 mins 47 secs. It was the 58-year-old Tynesider's first marathon for five years and he has set his sights on winning the over-60 crown in 2008.

Tees Valley Tigers, a team made up of young athletes from Middlesbrough Mandale, New Marske, Hartlepool Burn Road and Quakers Running Club, Darlington, finished fourth in their opening National Junior League Tyne Division match in Edinburgh.

Result: 1 Team Edinburgh 572; 2 Team Glasgow 403; 3 Team Forth Valley 383; 4 Tees Valley Tigers 377; 5 Border Olympians 331; 6 Team Tyneside 273.

The second fixture is at Jarrow tomorrow.