Athletics: Sunday's Puma Cell Dewsbury 10km road race is the major event of its kind in the district this weekend.

The flat out-and-back course from Dewsbury Town Hall (10am) has attracted a huge field of 1,000, with some of the nation's top road runners listed.

Last year's winner Spencer Newport (Tonbridge) will be back to defend his title as part of the Puma team and will start as race favourite with local man Andrew Pearson.

Such is the draw of the event, the top eight men from 1998 are set to return.

Stuart Bell (Chester-le-Street) was runner-up, with Inverclyde's Chris Robinson third, and Malcolm Price (Sunderland) - a prolific race winner in the north - will be aiming higher than his fourth place last time.

Belgrave's Ethiopian Kassa Tadesse, Alan Adams (Clydesdale) and former winner Paul Freary (Bolton) are also competing along with 1998 national junior cross-country champion Andrew Graffin (Tonbridge).

Other major names listed are: Ian and Mark Hudspith (Morpeth); Abbey Dash winner Michael Openshaw (Chester-le-Street); Justin Pugsley (Birchfield), who was third in the National last year; Mark Flint (RAF), and three-times runner up and now a leading veteran Bill Foster (Blackheath).

Completing a Who's Who of British running are Tony Graham, who was fifth in the Great South run, Scot Glen Stewart (Mizuno) and Carl Warren (Birchfield).

Last year's record time in the women's race was 33min 32sec set by Lynne MacDougall (Clydesdale), who unfortunately cannot defend owing to flu.

Birchfield's Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres representative Sarah Bentley should start as favourite to land the title this time, although Miranda Heathcote (Tonbridge) will have a say.

Belfast Marathon winner Jackie Newton should feature, along with English Marathon champion Nicola Brown (Chester-le-Street), as should Wigan's Kath Charnock.

Anne Buckley (Pudsey & Bramley) will lead the local quest for honours, having been fourth last year, and former Spenborough athlete Penny Thackray - a former winner - should be prominent. There are no entries on the day.

There is a local fell race on Saturday when Alan and Carol Greenwood promote the Ogden Moor Fell Race from Ogden Reservoir, near Halifax (11am).

The six-mile course, described as "possibly the most scenic in Yorkshire", climbs a total of 700 feet on paths and tracks, and forms the second race in the South Pennines Grand Prix Series.

Gary Oldfield will lead the Pudsey and Bramley contingent and his uncle - Bradford Airedale's Steve Oldfield - has also stated his intent to run.

Last year's race had a surprise winner when Tim Werrett (Mercia) travelled to the event after the cancellation of the Reebok Cross-Country race in Birmingham, and he may return to defend his trophy. Entries on the day are £2 only.

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