RICHARD KILTY and Charlie Myers will lead the North-East charge as the Great North CityGames relocates from Newcastle-Gateshead to Stockton this weekend.

Stockton-born Kilty, who was this week confirmed in Great Britain’s 4x100m relay squad for the forthcoming World Championships in Doha, will get a rare chance to race in front of his home fans as he competes in both the 100m and 150m on a specially-constructed town centre track on Saturday.

It will be something of a family affair for the Kiltys as Richard’s wife, Dovile, will swap her usual triple jump for the long jump competition, where she will compete against American Olympic and World champion Tianna Bartoletta.

Middlesbrough pole vaulter Myers will also be keen to put on a show for his home support, with his participation in the CityGames offering an opportunity to make up for missing out on a place in the World Championship squad, which was announced on Tuesday.

North-East athletics fans will be able to watch some of the world’s leading names as the CityGames acts as the warm-up for Sunday’s Great North Run, with champion sprinter Allyson Felix a confirmed starter in the women’s 150m.

With six Olympic gold medals and three silvers to her name, Felix is the joint most decorated female runner in Olympic history. She has competed in previous CityGames events in Manchester, but this will be her first outing in the North-East.

Competing over 150m, she will take on British 200m champion Beth Dobbin and her American compatriot Ashley Henderson.

She is also set to line up against Katarina Johnson-Thompson, with the British heptathlon champion hoping to double up in both the 150m and long jump as she steps up her World Championship preparations.

The men’s 150m race boasts an especially strong field, with Kilty set to be joined by Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, who anchored Britain’s 4x100m team to a World Championship gold in London two years ago, and Commonwealth gold medallist Harry Aikines Aryeetey.

Veteran champion LaShawn Merritt will compete in the 400m, staged on Stockton’s vast High Street, taking on British trio Guy Learmonth, Martyn Rooney and Dwayne Cowan.

Paralympic stars Jonnie Peacock, Sophie Hahn and Marlou van Rhijn will also be taking to the track, with Saturday’s athletics action due to get under way at 11am.