A decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Christine Ohuruogu's appeal against her drugs suspension will not be made before the middle of next month.

The Commonwealth 400 metres champion was handed a 12-month ban from a UK Athletics independent disciplinary committee after missing three compulsory out-of-competition tests in an 18-month period.

Ohuruogu's punishment was heavier than the three-month bans handed to Tim Don, the world triathlon champion, and three other British athletes.

The 22-year-old appealed to the CAS on October 11, claiming the punishment was too harsh, and her case was heard at a one-day hearing last month.

However, according to the CAS, there has been a delay because of late submissions made to the court.

A statement read: ''The parties have been granted a period of time in which to respond to submissions that were filed at very short notice before the hearing.

''As a result, it is not expected that the final award will be issued by the CAS before mid-March 2007.''

Should she be unsuccessful in her bid the east London athlete will be banned from representing Great Britain at future Olympic Games.

* A record number of applicants for this year's BUPA Great North Run has left thousands of athletes with nowhere to run, writes Jim Entwhistle.

More than 90,000 applicants had applied to fill the 50,000 spaces available for the famous half-marathon, which takes place on Sunday, September 30.

Places were allocated at a ballot drawn last week when it was announced that this year's total applications had smashed the previous record of 80,000 applicants for the 2006 race.

David Hart, communications director of the run, said the boom in applications was the result of the growing reputation of the race as a competitive sporting event.

He added: "This is an event that has made a big impact recently on a national and international level.

"The run has very much become a fixture in North-East life, as well as the international running calendar. It is one of the world's greatest running events."

John Driscoll, from the North of England Athletic Association, said: "Road running is certainly booming. Mass participation races, such as the Great North Run, are very popular as they are often televised and people want to be seen."

Meanwhile, organisers hope that the world's greatest ever distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie, will take part in the contest.

The great Ethiopian said he would think about entering, but only if he is 100 per cent fit following the London Marathon in April.

He added: "I'm still thinking about coming to win the race, because it is the best half-marathon in the world."