Scott Overall, five weeks after reaching the marathon qualification standard for next year's Olympic Games, will return to action at the Bupa Great South Run on 30 October
After his brilliant display in the BMW Berlin Marathon where, in his debut at the distance he bettered the UK Athletics qualifying standard of 2:12:00, with a time of 2:10:55 for a solid fifth position, will step down to 10 miles at the Portsmouth venue.
The 28-year-old former UK 5,000m champion, who took the decision to forsake his track career earlier this year and switch to the marathon, is now in a very solid position to clinch Olympic selection.
However, Overall will be aiming to stay in the selectors’ sights before they announce the three men and three women for the British team after next April's London Marathon, and the Bupa Great South Run offers an ideal first opportunity to do so.
The event’s line up includes Abel Kirui, the Kenyan winner of a second IAAF World Championship Marathon title in Daegu last month, while Chris Thompson, the 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist, is also in the field, along with Morocco's Abderrahime Bouramdane, fourth in this year's London Marathon.
Peter Riley, elite athletes manager at the meeting, is adamant Overall can produce another fantastic performance, saying: "Scott's finished fourth on both occasions he's competed in the Bupa Great South Run so he will be entering very familiar territory.
“As a former track athlete, the fast and very flat course will also be an advantage to his style of running and I'm sure with domestic rivalry certain to emerge between himself and Thompson, their head-to-head will produce a thrilling battle.
"It's also a great opportunity for the pair of them to take the race from Kirui and Bouramdane, who are leading what will be a strong overseas challenge."
Further details are available at www.greatrun.org
