Reigning Canadian 5,000m champion Megan Metcalfe is one of three international athletes who have been accepted onto St Bede's AC's Commonwealth Athletes' Camp.

Metcalfe - the 2005 US universities and colleges champion - has recently gained her qualification time for the Beijing Olympics.

She is hoping a month in Europe will give her the ideal preparation for August's World Championships in Osaka.

She said: "I am delighted that I can come back to the camp again this year. I had such a great experience last year.

"I actually got my Olympic standard last weekend, so I'm looking forward to real progress this summer."

The second international athlete attending the camp is 5000m specialist Rebecca Stallwood from the Hamilton Olympic club.

She was ninth in a Pan-American cross-country championship this March, helping Canada to win the team event.

The final member of the trio is Heather Hennigar from the national training centre in Victoria (British Columbia), an 800m/1500m specialist.

After several years of injury she is now hoping to break two minutes for the distance.

The camp is located near Antwerp, to reduce costs for accommodation and travel to the best European grands prix this summer.

A further half-dozen applicants will be allocated places after a series of trials and the national championships in Ontario.

The camp coincides with the annual exchange visit that St Bede's have with their Belgian twin-club, AVOS.

About 15 runners from Bradford will take part in this exchange and so will be able socialise with and get some coaching from the Commonwealth internationals.

Forthcoming races: Thursday, June 7, 7.30pm - The Full Bronte 5 mile, Old Sun Hotel, Haworth; Saturday, June 9, 2pm - Carnival Fell Race (5.8 miles, 1150ft climbing, to Stoodley Pike and back), Calder Holmes Park, Hebden Bridge; Sunday, June 10, 2pm - West Yorkshire 5 mile, Fire & Rescue Service HQ, Bradford Road (A651), Birkenshaw; Wednesday, June 13, 7.30pm - Otley 10 mile, from Otley RUFC; Sunday, June 17, 10am - Barnardos 5km Dad's Dash, Roundhay Park, Leeds; Wednesday, June 20, 7.40pm - Otley Beat the Clock' 5km (must be able to complete in under 23 mins), Otley town centre; Sunday, June 24, 8am - Bradford Millennium Way Relay (team event); Bradford & Bingley SC, Beckfoot.