KENT-born athlete Spencer Barden heads for the Saucony English National Cross Country Championships in Leeds on Saturday with extra confidence after a fine run in the Lotto CrossCup at Dour, Belgium, last Sunday.

Barden, born in Maidstone, finished fifth in classy company in the Senior Men's 6.9km race six days before he tackles the 12km in the Yorkshire city.

His performance proved he is fully over the hip injury that forced him out of the Reebok Liverpool Cross Challenge, incorporating the European Trials, in November. Barden moved through strongly in the final third of the race to lead home the four man England team.

England team manager Eamonn Martin, twice a winner of the English National during his career, said: "It was a great run by Spencer after his problems earlier in the winter. He put his toe in the competitive water by having a good run in the Surrey League last week.

"He ran sensibly and strongly in Belgium, so it looks as if he has made the best plans for the big races ahead."

After the national, Barden will compete in the Reebok UK Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at Nottingham on Sunday, March 6.

He will be bidding to claim a return trip to Belgium in the shape of a place in the Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland team at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Brussels on 20-21 March.

Barden said his run in Belgium was his best for a while. "I missed four weeks just before Christmas at a time when I was starting to get reasonably fit," he said.

"It was nice to get a feel for racing again in the Surrey League last week and in Dour I felt really good. I paced the race fairly well and come through strong in the later stages. I hope to have a good run at the national."