West junior international Emily Pidgeon opens her cross-country season today at the McCain UK Challenge in Gateshead.

It is the 19-year-old Cheltenham athlete's first cross- country race since the World Championships last spring, and Pidgeon admits to feeling a little nervous.

"It is my first cross-country race for ages and it feels a bit scary," said Pidgeon.

"But it will be nice to race again. I'm looking forward to it."

Pidgeon has only raced once this autumn, finishing 10th in the Great North Run two-mile event at the start of October.

"I just seem to have suffered a lot of interrupted training for one reason or another and haven't managed to get any consistency to it," added Pidgeon.

"But in the last few weeks I have trained better and my coach (Jon Nuttall) feels it will be good for me to race on Saturday."

Pidgeon will run the Under-20 women's 4k and will then make a decision on whether to run at the European trials at the end of the month.

Also entered for the one-lap race this weekend are Cheltenham and County Harriers' international James Brewer and Clevedon's James Thie.

■ In-form Tom Merson, who competes for South West Road Runners, will start as favourite for the Castle Drogo 10-mile multi-terrain race tomorrow.

So far, almost 300 entries have been received. Entries will be taken on the day with a £2 supplement.

For further details log on to the race website at: www.thedrogo.co.uk

■ Clevedon AC's Julian Emery makes his England debut today at the British Masters Cross-Country Championships, which is being held in Swansea.

The Bristol & West AC pair of Phil Parry and Dan Moore will also be in action.

■ Entries are being taken for the British Milers Club Bristol Cross-Country Classic, incorporating the Mike Sully Trophy and the Gemma Butler Bowl, a week tomorrow (November 23). For entry details call Rick Wallis on 0117 9621879 or log on to the race website at www.britishmilesclub.org.uk.

■ Jon Gilling of Wells City Harriers (16:48) and the Cathedral School's Henrietta Syers (19:38) won the latest Street 5k road race on Wednesday night.