Stefano Baldini in Gothenburg (© Getty Images)
After Haile Gebrselassie’s runaway victory in the Berlin Marathon last weekend, the autumn road racing season moves to the UK this Sunday for Tyneside’s BUPA Great North Run, described as the world’s largest half marathon.
It also has a reputation as one of the world’s top international road races and, despite the late withdrawal of Gebrselassie’s great rival Paul Tergat, this year’s elite fields promise two races of the highest quality.
Tergat, a former GNR winner, was scheduled to lead the men’s field against Italy’s Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini and Morocco’s former World champion Jaouad Gharib, but the Kenyan pulled out this week citing poor training form.
While it remains to be seen if the World marathon record holder will continue with his plans to defend his New York Marathon crown in November, Tergat’s absence from the GNR means the course record of 59:05 set by Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadesse last year should be safe.
Baldini and Gharib will be less concerned about eclipsing that mark than claiming their first title on the renowned fast GNR course from Newcastle to South Shields ahead of a mass field of club athletes, fun runners and celebrities.
After regaining his European marathon title so convincingly in Gothenburg in August, Baldini should start as favourite with Gharib offering the Italian his stiffest challenge, although South Africa’s Hendrick Ramaala, chasing his third victory in this race, will also be a strong contender.
Berhanu replaces Tergat
Organisers moved quickly this week to boost the field after Tergat’s withdrawal and have added two more potential winners in Dejene Berhanu, the 25-year-old Ethiopian who won here two years ago in 59:37, and another Kenyan Rodgers Rop, who came third in 2002.
It will be a big test for the main British challenger Jon Brown who flies in from his Canadian home to make a late start to an injury-blighted season. Brown, twice a fourth-place finisher in Olympic marathons, was forced to miss this year’s London Marathon and European Championships with back and calf injuries, but is confident of a strong showing on Tyneside before returning to marathon running in Fukuoka in December.
Dathan Ritzenhein will also be arriving from North America full of hope. Ritzenhein, one of USA’s brightest distance running prospects, is using the Tyneside race to gear up for his marathon debut in New York. The men’s elite field is completed by Kenya’s Wilberforce Talel, a former Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion.
Africa Vs rest of the world in women’s race
Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere heads a strong women’s field that also includes the Kenyan pair Susan Chepkemei and Sally Barsosio, Britain’s Jo Pavey and Australia’s Benita Johnson.
Adere, the former World 10,000m champion, will be going for her first GNR victory in her fifth appearance. The 33-year-old’s best performance to date came three years ago when she clocked 67:32 behind Paula Radcliffe’s course record of 65:40, still the world’s quickest ever half marathon.
Chepkemei, who won this title in 2001 and is a former World half marathon champion, will be a strong challenger, as will Barsosio, another former World 10,000m champion on the track, while British eyes will be assessing Pavey’s gradual progress towards serious marathon running.
Pavey has recovered from the calf injury that forced her out of the IAAF World Cup in Athens a fortnight ago and, after a successful track season, the 33-year-old Commonwealth Games 5000m medallist will be hoping to build on her road racing debut at the Hydro Active Women’s 5km race in London’s Hyde Park in early September when she finished just four seconds behind Adere.
Johnson, a former World cross country champion and late addition to the field, will be aiming to regain the title she won in 2004 when she produced a lifetime best of 67:55, while Mikie Takanaka, one of Japan’s top road racers, Kenya’s Olga Kimaiyo and Portugal’s Analia Rosa could also feature among the leading pack.
Over its 26 years, the Great North Run has not only grown in size – with 50,000 entrants it is now one of the biggest mass participation races in the world – but evolved into something of a festival of road running.
On Saturday the Newcastle/Gateshead quayside will witness a number of junior Great North Runs as well as elite races over a mile and 3km featuring a smattering of international stars.
Other races…
The men’s mile, for example, pitches Kenya’s Commonwealth Games 800m champion Alex Kipchirchir against Ukraine’s European 1500m silver medallist Ivan Heshko, who’s going for his third successive victory in this event.
Spain will be strongly represented by Juan Carlos Higuero, Sergio Gallardo and Reyes Estevez, while Mo Farah, European 5000m silver medallist, and Michael East provide the British challenge.
There will be a strong British presence in the women’s mile too where European 800m bronze medallist Becky Lyne takes on Slovenia’s Jolanda Jeplak and Tatayana Holovchenko of Ukraine, plus fellow Brits Helen Clitheroe, Marilyn Okoro and Jemma Simpson.
Australia’s Craig Mottram heads the men’s 3km field, fresh from his World Cup triumph over Kenenisa Bekele.
The confident 26-year-old will renew his rivalry with Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the former World 5000m champion who beat Mottram in this event last year just weeks after Mottram had pipped him to the World Championships bronze medal.
Last year Kipchoge clocked 7:50.9 and, if conditions are right, these two plus Spain’s European 5000m champion Jesus Espana, could threaten Brahim Boutaib’s 16-year-old unofficial World record of 7:49.
If anything, the women’s 3km field is even stronger with Ethiopia’s Olympic 5000m champion Meseret Defar stepping down in distance to race Liliya Shobukova, the Russian World indoor 3000m record holder, and Poland’s Wioletta Janowska, this year’s fastest 3000m steeplechaser.
Defar, who has broken World 5000m records on the track and road this year, was scheduled to face the World and Commonwealth steeplechase champion Dorcus Inzikuru, but the Ugandan withdrew this week having failed to shake off an injury.
Matthew Brown for the IAAF
