Friday 13th local derby showdown

Not only is this Friday my Birthday, it is also the day when a mackem from work, Steven Moore, will be racing against me over a marathon distance in the Cairngorms. We will both be wearing our respective team's colours.

He's got 10 years and a 5 stone advantage over me but I still fancy my chances in what promises to be a keenly contested affair. Also I will have run nearly 160 miles over the previous 6 days. There's no room for excuses though! I'll be hoping to follow in the footsteps of O'Brien, Dabizas, Bellamy, Shearer, Emre, Chopra etc etc in getting one over the local rivals.

Steven is getting sponsored in his own right for taking part in this challenge. The proceeds are also going to St Benedict's Hospice.

The kick off time is 07:30 am and the contest is not being exclusively covered by Sky. The early start is to discourage any pre match drinking!

The pressure of running a marathon day in day out will be forgotten on Friday 13th. The ultimate bragging rights are up for grabs as I hope to set up a possible hat trick of victories over the mackems this season.

Watch this space (and no doubt nufc.com) on Friday for up to the minute developments.

Tyne versus Wear derby battle to commence early!

If running 900 miles in itself wasn't enough, I've now been challenged, by a young Mackem from work, to a race of mountainous proportions. Steven Moore, who proudly supports that team who play in red and white, reckons he can beat me over any 26.2 mile section of the Land's End to John O'Groats route. I told him today that my choice of route was the 26.2 mile course from Kincraig to Dalwhinnie. This section runs through the Cairngorm National Park in Scotland so there's plenty of hills where we can battle it out for local bragging rights!

Steven and I will be wearing our respective team's colours and he has agreed to ask his friends and family for sponsorship in aid of the hospice. It should turn out to be some battle indeed as Steven is 10 years younger and 5 stone lighter than me. Not to mention that fact that I will have run 160 miles over the previous 6 days. There's no room for excuses though! I'll be hoping to follow in the footsteps of O'Brien, Dabizas, Bellamy, Shearer, Emre, Chopra etc etc and get one over the local rivals.

Steven commented earlier today that "Derby games are never pretty and whoever wants to defend the pride of their club the most will probably be the eventual victor.". So the first Tyne v Wear derby will be 13th July this year (also my birthday!) Challenge accepted!