Shaftesbury Barnet's Dominic Bannister is a man with a dual mission when the Reebok Cross Challenge series starts on Saturday in Liverpool.

Overall winner for the past three years, Bannister is not only keen to complete a four in a row, but also gain precious points to boost his chance of securing selection for the British teams for the European and World championships.

Bannister, who describes himself as "moderately fit", is returning to form after a summer beset with injury, and has been away in Lanzarote preparing for the cross-country season.

Bannister faces top-quality opposition, including reigning UK cross-country and AAA 10,000m champion Glynn Tromans (Coventry Godiva Harriers).

He is just about returning to full training after suffering a burst eardrum in the autumn and is joined by training partner and former national champion Steffan White.

White is looking to resurrect a career dogged by injury.

Another likely contender is last year's winner at Liverpool winner Matt O'Dowd (Swindon Harriers), who has shown fantastic form on the roads recently, culminating in an excellent 21st place at the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships.

O'Dowd will start race favourite but he will be among many nervous seniors looking over his shoulder to see where the leading junior is.

If he has shaken off a slight cold, Mohammed Farah (Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow) will not only win the junior race but will challenge the leading seniors at the front of the field.

He will be joined by his clubmate Sam Haughan, who is a former junior star seeking to make a major impact on the senior scene.

There are also races for boys and girls, U11, U13, U15 and U17.

Shaftesbury Barnet's outstanding girls, Emma Hunt and Chloe Wilkinson, are expected to renew their rivalry.

Emma won the intermediate 3000m title in the English Schools' Championships at Exeter in July.

Chloe, who was runner-up, went on to win the junior women's race in the Great North Run at Gateshead last month.

After Liverpool, the Reebok trail continues across the country at Birmingham, Margate, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Nottingham.

October 17, 2001 17:22