Fabian Joseph, the teenage silver medallist in last year’s IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, will compete at the Belfast International Cross Country on Saturday.

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 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.

Former Commonwealth 1500m champion Peter Elliott has hit out following double World Cross Country champion Kenenisa Bekele’s withdrawal from Saturday’s Balmoral Road Races.