Prokopcuka steams to third win in Edinburgh

Jelena Prokopcuka only three weeks after finishing second in the Boston Marathon showed her massive strength and recovery ability when winning the BUPA Great Edinburgh Run on Sunday (6).

Hosea Macharinyang of Kenya was the men’s race winner.

WOMEN

The 30-year-old Latvian star with a sustained burst halfway into the 10 kilometres race, celebrated a third successive victory when again mastering the tough terrain in the Scottish capital.

Prokopcuka renowned for her strength and who relishes racing over uphill courses, pulled 50 metres clear with her sustained effort, although it did not break the spirit of a determined Briton Jo Pavey.

Pavey running her first serious 10km road event, pulled back in the second half of a very windy race, eventually narrowing the gap to four seconds at the finish. But despite the Commonwealth 5000 metres silver medallists brave attempt to wrestle the title away from the two-time champion, she was foiled by Prokopcuka's superior armoury.

The field flew through the first two kilometres with Prokopcuka, Pavey, and last year's runner-up Aniko Kalovics, confirming they were the three likely podium finishers.

But Prokopcuka appeared to be biding her time and it came as no surprise when using her legnedary strength she went into the lead she never surrendered at 5km.

The two-times and reigning New York Marathon champion powering away on the steepest gradient of the course, caught Pavey flatfooted and unable to respond.

Prokopcuka said: "That was really tough and after I broke away at 5km the wind was almost blowing me over and I had to fight to keep on a straight line. Then I could feel her (Pavey) catching me and I had again to push hard. It hurt but I did want to win for a third time again. It is a great feeling.”

"Running so soon after Boston did not bother me and fortunately this is the kind of course which suits me. My training after Boston had gone well but this was the hardest of my three victories," added Prokopcuka who won from her British rival by four seconds in 32:53, with Kalovics third in 33:15.

Pavey who stuck diligently to the task of catching Prokopcuka, expressed delighted following her disappointing displays at the European Indoor Championships and Euro 10Km Challenge.

She said: "I lost so much when Jelena broke clear and I just kept trying to catch her, but everytime I got close she pulled away on mainly two more steep hills and I fell back again. I'm frustrated, but she is just so strong on the hills and it was good in the end to finish behind by such a tiny amount. Before the race, I spent a lot of time running on the hills and at least I believe I'm now going somewhere after the recent setbacks."

MEN

With defending champion Fabiano Joseph sidelined early in the race suffering from a tight hamstring, the men's event came down to a head-to-head battle between Boniface Kiprop and Hosea Macharinyang.

Macharinyang fifth in this year's World Cross Country Championships and a late entry for the race only getting a visa on Thursday (3), ran with confidence throughout.

But the 20-year-old Kenyan never managed to rid himself of his Ugandan rival and their close confrontation was inevitably concluded with a sprint for the finishing line.

The result wasn't decided until the final 10 metres when Macharinyang got ahead to win by a second in 29:14, with last summer's European champs silver medallist at 10,000m Chema Martinez taking third place in 29:39.

Macharinyang said: "I didn't know what to expect and did not think I would win and Kiprop made me fight all of the way. When it came to the finish I just concentrated on the line and gave it everything. It was a very hard race."

Dave Martin (PA International) for the IAAF

Results

Men
1. H Macharinyang (Kenya) 29:14
2, B Kiprop (Uganda) 29:15,
3, J M Martinez (Spain) 29:39,
4, S Azouzi (Morocco) 30:20,
5, J Ward (GB) 20:26,
6, I Babarika (Ukraine) 30:29,
7, R Ribas (Portugal) 30:42,
8, I Hudspith (GB) 30:47,

Women
1. J Prokopcuka (Latvia) 32:53,
2, J Pavey (GB) 32:57,
3, A Kalovics (Hungary) 33:15,
4, J Augusto (Portugal) 33:39,
5, I Pirmitina (Russia) 34:05,
6, M Ross-Cope (GB) 34:32,
7, H Yelling (GB) 35:05,
8, C Cruz (Portugal) 35:24