Ethiopia’s former World cross country silver-medallist Merima Denboba will compete in the Belfast International Cross Country race on January 8.

SONIA O’SULLIVAN will be back in old, familiar surroundings when she lines up for the final of the women’s 5,000m at the Olympic Stadium in Athens tonight.

WITH Catherina McKiernan set to compete in the Reebok Challenge in Belfast on Saturday week the prospects of having herself and Sonia O'Sullivan lining up together for the world cross-country championships in Lausanne next March are getting more exciting.

Illness has forced Ethiopia’s former World 10,000 metres champion Gete Wami to withdraw from the View From Great North Cross Country on January 4.

Paula Radcliffe will begin 2003 with a high-profile race against two-time Olympic 10,000 metres gold medallist Derartu Tulu in the Great North Cross-Country event.

Paula Radcliffe faces an exciting head-to-head with old foe Gete Wami when she lines up against Ethiopia’s Olympic 10,000 metres silver medallist in next month’s Great North Cross Country.

THE world of women's middle distance running may be buzzing in advance of the showdown between defending champion Sonia O'Sullivan and Paula Radcliffe in tonight's 10,000m final in Munich, but the newly crowned Commonwealth Games champion played it down yesterday.

Paula Radcliffe is not taking anything for granted even though her three top rivals will be missing when she defends her World Cross Country long course title in Dublin tomorrow.

World 10,000 metres silver medallist Berhane Adere has decided not to take part in the IAAF World Cross Country race in Dublin on Saturday.

Paula Radcliffe suffered heartbreak in the 10,000 metres once again as she was squeezed out of the medals and into fourth place.

In the men’s race at the World Cross Country Championships in Ostend, home favourite Mohammed Mourhit retained his title.

Ethiopian, Gete Wami stole the gold medal from Paula Radcliff today in the World Cross Country Championship race in Ostend, Belgium.