DEFENDING champion Julian Critchlow has been forced out of Sunday's Wycombe Half Marathon.

The injury has robbed the 40-year-old Watford Harrier of the chance to become the first man to win the race three years running following his success in 1999 and 2000.

He won last year's event at a canter almost two minutes ahead of the second placed runner Justin Fowler of the Vale of Aylesbury Club.

But two-times Ladies champion Jude Craft will be back bidding for a hat-trick of successive titles this weekend.

The Headington Road Runner retained her title last year in a time of one hour, 22 minutes and 53 seconds, which was more than one-and-a-half-minutes down on her winning time from the previous year.

But even if Craft wins on Sunday she will still only be halfway towards equalling Jane Harrop's astonishing record of six straight wins in the eighties and the nineties.

But for hundreds of other runners it is all about finishing the event and raising money for charity.

Bucks Free Press editor Steve Cohen, 38, and wearing number 452, will be striding out to raise money for the Maplewood School in Cressex while dozens of others have dedicated their run to the Aitchisons estate agents lorry tragedy.

The race has also attracted entrants over a wide age range with Marlow's Peter Addis the oldest competitor at 76. He will be wearing vest number 529 while Vernon Martin, six years his junior, will wear 594.

Runners are coming from far and wide for this the 20th running of the Half Marathon with two members of the Hong Kong police force signed up to start.

Others runners are travelling from places such as Halifax, Rotherham and Scarborough to tackle the course and will join more than 1,200 runners on the start line on the Rye at 9.30am.

It is the largest field to enter the race since 1997 and the numbers could be swelled even further by on-the-day entrants.

Runners can register on the day, for £10, with registration taking place between 8am until 9am.

There is also a free-to-enter fun run around the Rye which starts ten minutes after the main event.