Steel Shows Mettle In Yorkshire

11 OCT2011

Gemma Steel outshone both Jo Pavey and Maria McCambridge to win Sunday's Bupa Great Yorkshire Run. In the event which attracted 8,000 participants Kenya's Micah Kogo, secured a comfortable victory in the men's race, with the former world record holder completing the course in 32:52

Third in the same race last year, Steel's performance came as a surprise to both the spectators and the athlete herself. Speaking after the race, Steel commented: "This has got to be the biggest win of my career and to beat Jo Pavey is just unbelievable. It's like a dream which I never thought could happen."

Pavey, who was pre-race favourite after securing fourth position in last month's Great North Run, finished 20 seconds behind Steel. Pavey commented on her own performance, "Obviously it wasn't a great run from me and I expected to have done a lot better. But let's take nothing away from Gemma, she's showed this year she is an up-and-coming runner and fully deserved her victory."

Micah Kogo prevailed in the men's race after a closely contested battle that saw Craig Thompson match the Kenyan until the final kilometre. Kogo's stronger finish, however, resulted in a winning lead of 18 seconds as the runners completed the course at Arundel Gate.

Speaking post-race, Kogo felt his 2:44 split between seven and eight kilometres proved decisive, "I felt Chris on my shoulder and decided to try and get clear. It was very windy and the last part of the course was the hardest bit." Scotland's Andrew Lemoncello continued his rehabilitation with a third place finish (29:57).

The big Sheffield race was however about much more than the elite runners at the head of the field as the 2011 Great Yorkshire Run proved another huge success - with 8,000 competitors flocking to the city to take part in the event. The 10k race, started on Arundel Gate in the city centre took competitors to Hillsborough and back along Penistone Road. Bands lined the route, playing music to encourage runners - many in fancy dress - to the finishing line.

Celebrity runners like actor Dean Andrews, who plays DS Ray Carling in Life on Mars, also took part along with Emmerdale actress Nicola Wheeler, who plays Nicola King and Chris Chittell, better known as Eric Pollard in the ITV1 soap. Those stars and the thousands of charity and recreational runners who took part received vocal encouragement from supporters who lined the path. World Cup referee Howard Webb, from Rotherham, raised plenty of cheers as he took part in the event to raise money for Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.