Injured Gerrard denied chance of hat-trick of English titles

It looks like Peel runner Keith Gerrard won't be defending his English Cross Country Championship title this weekend.

Tweeting last night, Gerrard said he was heading back to Britain from Albuquerque in New Mexico - where he goes for altitude training and went to university - but would not be competing on Saturday.

He says he has been struggling with injury recently and was nowhere near ready.

Gerrard has won the English title for the past two years.