Reigning champion Phil Wicks is unable to defend his senior men’s title at tomorrow’s rescheduled Surrey Championships in Lloyd Park Croydon, because of a recurring knee injury.

The Belgrave Harriers runner has been out of action since competing in the European cross country championships trials at Liverpool last December.

Also missing will be last year’s runner-up James Kelly, also from Belgrave, who has decided against racing a week before the English national at Leeds.

The county championships were originally scheduled for Saturday, January 9, but deep snow and freezing weather wiped out most of the country’s sport that weekend.

Thames Hare & Hounds hope to defend the team title they won last year.

John McFarlane, James McMullan and Phil Sly will lead a team which has already ended Herne Hill’s seven-year winning streak in the Surrey League this season.

The first two from last year’s women’s race – Aldershot’s Lily Partridge and Clapham Chasers’ Justina Heslop – are still to race this year.

Emily Adams – the champion in 2007 and 2008 – will fancy her chances of improving on last year’s third place, but faces strong competition Herne Hill Harriers’ Karen Ellison, who was 22 seconds clear in the Southern Championships at Parliament Hill.

Despite moving up to the U17 age group, Howard of Effingham schoolgirl Emelia Gorecka is favourite to add to the U15 title she won last year.

Jonny Hay, they men’s U17 winner last year, is in good form to land the junior men’s title, having taken the silver medals at Parliament Hill.

Isabel Brinsden, of Epsom & Ewell, women’s silver medallist last year, is a strong challenger in the U20 race, having finished sixth and top Surrey finisher at the southerns.

Liam White, fifth last year, is a strong contender to take the men’s U17 crown. But the Hercules Wimbledon runner will need to beat last year’s runner-up Josh Grace, who beat him in the southerns.

Herne Hill Harriers pair Merhawi Tesfaldet Yemane and Lascelles Hussey, Hercules Wimbledon’s Cassien Hyde and Wilson’s schoolboy Tom Holden, are medal contenders in the U13 boys’ race.

Timetable: 11am: boys’ U13 3.25km. 11.20am: girls’ U13 3.25km. 11.40am: boys’ U15 4km. Noon: girls’ U15 4km. 12.25pm: men’s U17 & U20 6.5km. 12.55pm: women’s U17 & U20 4.8km. 1.20pm: senior women 8km. 2pm: senior men 12km.