Fresh from winning her first major marathon in just her second appearance in the classic distance, multiple world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri will on Sunday 21 May line up for the 20th edition of the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run.
The Boston Marathon champion, had a spectacular race in Manchester last year, winning the race in 30:15, four seconds ahead of Eilish McColgan’s British record-breaking performance and is expected to replicate her performance on Sunday.
Obiri will have good company in the race for the title, even in the absence of McColgan who is continuing her recovery from the knee problem which prevented her from making her marathon debut in London. Her strongest challenge is likely to come from compatriot and reigning Olympics champion Peres Jepchirchir, who is coming off a third-place finish at the London Marathon won by debutant Sifan Hassan.
Ethiopia’s 2015 5000m world championships silver medalist Senbere Teferi, Steph Twell who will lead the home charge as part of a British contingent that also features Mollie Williams, Monika Jackiewicz, Lily Partridge, Rose Harvey and Natasha Cockram among others are also tipped to push the Kenyan duo.
Obiri, in her second race in the marathon clocked 2:21:38 for victory, the fourth-fastest women’s winning mark in Boston, beating world marathon champion Gotytom Gebreslase, Ethiopian record-holder Amane Beriso, Lonah Salpeter among others. Her finishing kick and track speed came in handy in the final kilometers of the Boston race.
