18 September 2009 - The Great North Run is in for a treat if Martin Lel and Jaouad Gharib stage the ding-dong battle they had earlier this year for the Lisbon half marathon title. On that occasion, only three seconds separated the two and the North-East is preparing itself for a repeat performance.

After two World Championships marathon golds and an excellent silver at the Beijing Olympics, Gharib is a redoubtable rival. After withdrawing from the Berlin World Championships with an injury, he is back to full fitness and ready to takeout all his frustration at not being able to regain his World title.

In this year’s London marathon, Gharib set a personal best of 2:05.27 and will be taking aim at his best for the half distance, also set this year, of 59:59 in Lisbon.
 
Lel suffered similar frustration after lifting the Lisbon title for the third time in 59.56 in the spring because the win cost him his place in the London marathon when he picked up a hip injury. But now he too is back and ready to regain the title he won in 2007. On that occasion he outdid World record holder for the distance, fellow-Kenyan, Sammy Wanjiru, so the course holds no surprises for him.

Both will have to watch out for another man who is also smarting from disappointment, Ethiopian Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam, who allowed countryman Tsegaye Kebede to get away early last year to take the Great North Run title.

In the winter, Gebremariam turned in a stellar performance in the World cross country championships to snatch the title with a late burst and once again destroy Kenyan hopes of a revival in the main event on the cross country calendar.

But with a personal best of only 61min29sec for the 13.1-mile trip, he will need to improve considerably to mount a serious challenge.

They will all have to watch out for the little known Ethiopian Chala Dechase who was second in last year’s Amsterdam marathon and has a best of 60:19 for the half distance. At 25, most of Dechase’s best times from 10km upwards have been set this year so he is clearly a man on the up and ready to make a name for himself.

European hopes will be represented by Portugal’s Alberto Chaica, fourth in the Paris World Championship marathon, and Chema Martinez of Spain, the 2002 10,000m European gold medallist, while Britain will be represented by marathon specialist Dan Robinson. 

Women's race

Fastest on the start-list for the women based on this year’s times is Kenya’s Salina Kosgei who clocked 69:07 when she finished third in Lisbon. The fact that she is the current Boston marathon champion suggests that she will be the woman to beat on Sunday.

Kosgei will have some illustrious company. Alongside will be one of the best-known names in World athletics, Berhane Adere of Ethiopia, who has a best of 67:32 from 2003 when she finished second to Paula Radcliffe in the North-East. In the spring Adere added the Seattle half marathon to her spoils crossing the line in 71:19, her best time this year.

Compatriot Werknesh Kidane is second fastest in the race based on the 2009 rankings with 69:49 from finishing fourth in Prague in March, just 11 seconds off her personal best set four years ago.

She will be accompanied by Ejigayehu Dibaba, one of the Dibaba sisters, who has a personal best of 76:40 from eight years ago. Dibaba is a former Olympic silver medallist over 10,000m and should seriously revise her best at this distance.

Amongst other big names on the start line is Australia’s Benita Willis who took bronze in the World half marathon championships five years ago and is a former World cross country champion while former World marathon record holder, Tegla Loroupe, is also in the field. Also from Kenya is 2008 Amsterdam marathon champion, Rose Cheruiyot. British hopes will be borne by Scotland’s Collette Fagan with a best of 73:30 from 2006.

Michael Butcher for the IAAF