Stars Ready For Great Yorkshire Run

30 SEP2011

After achieving the Olympic marathon qualifying mark at the Virgin London Marathon in April, Jo Pavey has confirmed she will challenge in next weekend's Bupa Great Yorkshire Run. The event, due to take place on Sunday, October 9, is expected to attract over 10,000 runners to the city of Sheffield.

Pavey, who finished fourth in the recent Great North Run, was forced to withdraw from the World Championships in Daegu due to a niggling injury. The 37-year-old former track star, whose next marathon outing will be in New York, plans to use the testing 10k terrain of the Bupa Great Run as a further stepping stone to reaching optimum racing shape.

Peter Riley, the event's elite athletes manager, said that the Sheffield crowd should expect a high-octane performance from the athlete, commenting: "I'm personally expecting a powerhouse display from Jo. She knows she needs to open the throttles and give her whole body a real test to ensure there are no niggles lurking which could prove a hindrance in the next few weeks."

Pavey will be part of a competitive field that includes Kenya's Micah Kogo, a former 10k world record holder. Kogo, who also boasts the current UKA All-Corners' record and an Olympic bronze medal, will compete in the men's race and is set to provide strong competition for the British athletes.

Riley said of the Kenyan runner: "He's in brilliant form at the moment and will replace Craig Mottram of Australia." With Mottram, last year's winner in a time of 28:50, unable to attend, Riley feels Kogo is in a strong position, adding: "He'll be the one to beat, although I'm sure the Brits, Chris Thompson and Andy Lemoncello, will give him a run for his money along with Viktor Rothlin of Switzerland."

The Great Yorkshire Run, which has more than doubled in size since the inaugural race in 2007, looks set to establish itself as one of the most popular 10k events in the northern running calendar. The course takes in a relatively quick start through the fast and flat Penistone Road, through the South stand of Hillsborough Stadium, and finishes with a return to the city centre.

As with last year, there will be added spice to the event with every entry asked to plead their allegiance to either Yorkshire or Lancashire in the War of the Roses. The winning county will be calculated by the average finishing time of all runners competing the 10k course in less than 70 minutes.

Entries are still being taken for race and you can register at the event website. To find out how Jo Pavey gets on in her push for the Great Yorkshire Run title and who prevails in the War of the Roses, visit the results page at northernrunningguide.com.