'The world's greatest distance runner Haile Gebrselassie may be the stand out elite entry from overseas at the Bupa Great Birmingham Run on Sunday, but the women's race promises to produce a thrilling domestic encounter
Known as the ‘Emperor’, Gebrselassie will start as the favourite in the men’s race, having broken 26 world records, including the world record for the half marathon (the distance of the Bupa Great Birmingham Run) over his career. However, there is everything to play for in the women's race.
Louise Damen, a strong contender for a place in next year's British team for the London Games will face Gemma Steel, who is quickly establishing herself as a consistent performer on the Bupa Great Run circuit.
Louise Damen would probably have preferred a race over the shorter 10k distance before the challenge of a demanding half marathon. However, the 30-year-old, who became an Olympic contender when clinching the qualifier in last April's London Marathon, has been clocking up the miles since winning the Bupa Great North 10k title in Gateshead in July. The race organisers are hopeful that she is in the kind of shape to challenge her personal best of 1:10:47, which convincingly won her the Reading half marathon in 2007.
By anyone's standards Steel has had a fantastic season and few British athletes can claim the accolade of ever having beaten the country's two top running stars, Paula Radcliffe and Jo Pavey, in a period of just six months.
The 25-year-old Charnwood athlete achieved that feat when sensationally beating Radcliffe at the Bupa London 10,000 at the end of May, and then two weeks ago, decisively defeating Pavey in the Bupa Great Yorkshire Run.
“This has got to be the biggest win of my career and to beat someone like Jo Pavey is just unbelievable," she said after triumphing in Sheffield. "It's like a dream which I never thought would happen."
Now the reigning UK half marathon champion, who clinched that title with her fastest ever time of 1:13:42 in Bristol at the beginning of September, will be quietly confident she can add the scalp of Damen to her collection.
Gebrselassie, after dropping out of the BMW Berlin Marathon with breathing problems, had no hesitation at committing himself to another appearance on the highly competitive Bupa Great Run circuit.
The Ethiopian, a past Bupa Great North Run and four-time Bupa Great Manchester Run winner, is no stranger to Birmingham, having previously achieved World Indoor records over 2,000m, two miles and 5,000m.
"I've run many times in Birmingham before but never on the roads," said Gebrselassie. "I am looking forward to it and particularly a half marathon. It's one of the distances I really like and I'm in good shape."
Formerly a world half marathon record holder with a time of 58:55, he will line up against some testing opposition on his return to the UK's second city.
They include fellow Africans John Kelai, the Commonwealth marathon champion from Kenya, Abderrahime Bouramdane, fourth in last month's World Championships Marathon, the highly experienced Moroccan, Adil Annani, plus Essa Rashed from Qatar, a top-10 finisher in the 2008 World Half Marathon.
Spain's Jose Manuel Martinez, a two-time Olympian and former European 10,000m track gold medallist, and Marius Ionescu of Romania, who was the second runner from Europe to finish in the World Championships Marathon, will also be challengers.
The Bupa Great Birmingham Run has attracted a capacity 15,000 strong field and will be televised live on Channel 5 from 9.45am.
For more information please visit www.greatrun.org
