DEFENDING champions Gateshead Harriers will be chasing their fifth North-East senior men’s team title in seven years as nearly 1,000 athletes take part in today’s Road Relay Championships at Hetton Lyons Country Park.

The Tyneside outfit, the region’s only British Athletics League club, regained the coveted Royal Signals trophy last year from arch-rivals Morpeth, who are again expected to provide the biggest challenge in the 6 x 2.2-mile relay over two parkland laps.

At full strength Morpeth are recognised as the North-East’s leading senior men’s outfit in road and country competition, having won the North of England cross country relay championship at Pontefract, with Gateshead finishing the region’s second club in tenth place.

Gateshead, however, have enjoyed greater Royal Signals success in recent years, having held the trophy for three years in succession from 2009, with Morpeth, the 2005 winners, regaining the title in 2013. The senior women’s championship was won last year by Birtley.

Competition is again expected to be fierce in the men’s six-stage and women’s four-stage events, where the course records are held by New Marske’s Ricky Stephenson (10 min 9 secs) and Morpeth’s Olympian Laura Weightman (11 mins 22 secs).

Competitors have been warned on the entry forms that the continued use of Hetton Lyons Country Park for the event could be in threatened if there are parking problems near the course. Athletes should share cars if possible and motorists are asked to use the car park and the nearby South Hetton Industrial Estate.

The timetable is – 12.00: Senior/over-35 veteran women, over-50 veteran men (4 x 2.2miles); 1.15: Senior Men, over-40 veteran men (6 x 2.2miles).