TOM Lancashire opens his winter racing season in the world’s top cross country event tomorrow.

The Bolton Olympic and World Championships star lines up in a top quality international field in the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country which will be televised live on BBC One.

He has finished second, third and fourth in the Holyrood Park 4k event in the last three years.

This year the race has been expanded from a domesticonly field to an international event and features world’sbest Kenyans, Asbel Kiprop, Brimin Kipruto, and Eliud Kipchoge, and Spain’s Arturo Casado who beat Lancashire to win gold in last year’s European Championships 1,500m final.

Kiprop and Kipruto are reigning Olympic champions in the 1500m and 3,000m steeplechase, respectively, and Kipchoge won the silver in the 5,000m at the last Olympics.

Lancashire is relishing the test as he looks to guage his progress in the middle of a tough winter training schedule.

“I am feeling in really good shape and I’m looking forward to this race,” he said.

“Training’s been going really well and I’m feeling in much better shape than at this time last year.

“The only downside is not having a race under my belt because of the weather.

“I’ve done this race three time before and finished second, third and fourth. This year it’s an international field, which is evenbetter, and I’m hoping to mix it with the Kenyans and Casado.”

While the weather has wreaked havoc with sport in the last few weeks, Lancashire has been determined to overcome to give him an edge on his rivals.

“I want a strong endurance base for the track season,”

said the 25-year-old whose priority for the year will be the World Championships in South Korea at the end of August.

“I don’t think I was strong enough last year and I’ve upped my mileage.

“The weather hasn’t made it easy but if you can get out, you have to. The roads have been dangerous with the snowand ice, but if you get on grass with spikes it has been okay.

“I’ve been training as normal, every day, including New Year’s Day morning, because if you do, you can get an edge on your rivals.”

The event’s elite athletes coordinator, Peter Riley, believes the Bolton Harrier could trouble the high-class field.

“It’s going to be tough for him, particularly facing not only the reigning Olympic and European gold medallists, but also Kipruto and Kipchoge who are world class performers in their events,” said Riley.

“He has matured and progressed brilliantly since then and I'm sure he'll give not only the overseas opposition a run for their money but the other Britons in the race.”