ATHLETICS: Stephen Morris goes for a hat-trick of successes at 4th Tandragee 10K Road Race

The City of Lisburn athlete, a former Northern Ireland 10,000 champion, faces a triple North Down challenge plus stars from Dromore and St Peters.

North Down have Dennis Scott, winner of the Jengana Race, Francis Marsh champion in the Bangor Classic and Jamie Budde who came first at Duncrue.

Stephen O’Gorman from Dromore is one of the revelations of the season with third in the Les Jones and second in the Bann 10K while Gerard Heaney from St Peters won the Great Rossa event before placing third in Cookstown. It will be very close.

Defending Ladies’ champion Heather Foley should win again if she enters. The Lisburn 10K champion came first in the Sligo and Lisburn Tri-athlons on successive days last weekend.

Louise Smith, second last year will be in the medals again, She rarely runs a bad race coming second in the Omagh and Newry Half Marathons and third at Ards.

Charlene Abraham, third last times is a former Great Rossa winner, Ruth Perioli has taken medals at the Masters International while Susan Smyth has placed at Ballynahinch and the Dune event.

The race which is the ninth in the Novosco 10K Grand Prix gets under way at 11am.

Meanwhile, a big field is expected for Saturday’s Groomsport Half Marathon the penultimate round of the Pure Running/ChampionChip Ireland Series.

Delamont top two Martin Wilcox and Richard Coey will feature again while Karen Alexander can defend her Ladies title ahead of Denise Logue and Lyndsey Tyro.

Also on Saturday Alan Bogle and Jonny Steede will go head to head in the Lurig Mountain Race promoted by Glens Runners at Cushendall over a 3.5 miles course with 375 metres of climb.

Shileen O’Kane and Gillian Wasson can be the top two in the Ladies with Paula Arthur-McCarty one to watch.