MATHS teacher Hayley Yelling will put her schoolbooks to one side on Sunday to go for glory in the European Cup at Gateshead.

The 26-year-old teacher from Sir William Borlase's School in Marlow is Great Britain's sole representative in the 5,000 metres.

And the academic, who takes one day's unpaid leave each week to help with her training, is hoping to use the event to qualify for this year's Sydney Olympics by knocking seven seconds off her time.

She said: 'I hope it's a fast race, If it is not I might have to break from the front to try and get the time.'

Yelling has run for Great Britain at under-23 level and in cross country events before, finishing second in the world championships last year, but this is the first time she has been called up to race for the senior team on the track.

But none of her pupils even know she is running in Sunday's televised event. She hasn't told them because she does not want to put extra pressure on herself.

She said: 'I don't want to come in on Monday and have them say 'Oh Miss you were rubbish'.'