Mara Yamauchi takes on Berhane Adere, Irina Mikitenko and Constantina Dita in the women’s race at the Bupa Great North Run on September 19
OLYMPIC sixth placer Mara Yamauchi will be in contention to become the first British winner of the Great North Run since Paula Radcliffe claimed her third victory in 2003.
The 37-year-old has been sidelined with a foot injury this summer, which means Yamauchi hasn’t raced since finishing tenth at the Virgin London Marathon in April in 2:26:16 but the Beijing sixth placer sounded in confident spirits on her blog.
Yamauchi, who has been training at high altitude in St. Moritz, commented: “I’m feeling like I’ve got some good form back and my training is coming along well.”
The Harrow AC athlete is using this race as part of her preparations for the ING New York Marathon on November 7, where Yamauchi will face Olympic 10,000m bronze medallist and marathon debutante Shalane Flanagan from the USA and world half-marathon champion Mary Keitany from Kenya, who is also making her debut at the distance.
After the Great North Run, Yamauchi will spend another month at altitude in Albuquerque, before finalising her preparations with two weeks at sea level prior to the New York Marathon.
Yamauchi’s assault on winning the Great North Run has been made slightly easier by the withdrawal of defending champion Jessica Augusto from Portugal but the British No.1 will face stern opposition from former champion and last year’s runner-up Berhane Adere from Ethiopia, who clocked 67:52 in March. Adere, of course, will be a danger in a sprint finish.
Germany’s Irina Mikitenko hasn’t been enjoying a particularly stellar season but the former two-time London Marathon champion has recovered from her injuries and will be looking for a confidence-boosting performance prior to next month’s Chicago Marathon.
Last year’s third placer Ana Dulce Felix from Portugal will be another contender and even though Olympic marathon champion Constantina Dita isn’t operating at her best level these days, the Romanian, who also won the World Half-Marathon Championships in 2005, cannot be overlooked.
Yamauchi holds a half-marathon PB of 68:29 and her best performance at the Great North Run came in 2005, when she finished fifth in 69:51.
Mara Yamauchi – half-marathon record
17 Aug ’03 – 1st Burnham (73:54)
7 Sep ’03 – 2nd Bristol (72:32)
21 Mar ’04 – 2nd Wilmslow (73:36)
12 Sep ’04 – 13th Bristol (80:39)
26 Sep ’04 – 22nd Bupa Great North Run (81:11)
19 June ’05 – 1st Blackpool (71:52)
18 Sep ’05 – 6th Bupa Great North Run (69:51)
1 Oct ’05 – 18th World Half-Marathon Championships, Edmonton (72:40)
5 Feb ’06 – 3rd Marugame (69:24)
9 July ’06 – 5th Sapporo (70:56)
10 Sep ’06 – 1st Rotterdam (70:38)
18 Mar ’07 – 2nd Matsue (69:36)
8 July ’07 – 2nd Sapporo (68:45)
4 Nov ’07 – 3rd St. Denis (74:38)
23 Dec ’07 – 2nd Okayama (69:28)
16 Mar ’08 – 1st Matsue (69:59)
23 Dec ’08 – DNF Okayama
1 Feb ’09 – 1st Marugame (68:29)
15 Mar ’09 – 1st Matsue (70:09)
7 Feb ’10 – 6th Marugame (70:46)
21 Mar ’10 – 1st New York (69:25)
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