Athletes desperate to prove the truth of the old adage "you're only as old as you feel" will descend on Gateshead next week.

The occasion is the 13th World Veterans Championships which will attract a total of 5,940 athletes - 1,796 from the UK - from next Thursday.

Southend Athletic Club will have a strong line-up of eight competitors taking part with Dick Blois who, at 72, will compete in the marathon and is the club's "father figure".

However, Dick is a veritable youngster when compared to some involved in competition.

Oldest Briton is 90-year-old John Farrell, from Glasgow, who will make light of the passing decades by competing in the 800, 1,500, 5,000m and 10,000m.

Everett Hosack, from the United States, outstrips Farrell by some way as he is just three years short of being 100 years old.

He will sprint the 100 and 200m and compete on the field in long jump and hammer.

One of the Southend competitors, Gary Crowe, said: "We are all looking forward to the competition tremendously.

"Veterans athletics is becoming increasingly popular and the line-up for Gateshead is the largest ever for these World Championships.

"The ages of some of those competing is quite staggering and even I sat up when I looked through the programme for the championships and saw one event listed - the pole vault for women aged 85 years and over."

The Southend contingent have been training hard at their Garon's Park headquarters for the big date.

Golden boy - Southend Athletic Club's Jon Weaver collected the under-17 Essex 1500m steeplechase title at Woodford

Pictures: STEVE O'CONNELL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.