Marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe will make her competitive come back at the Great Manchester Run on 15 May after a 15-month absence.
The GB athlete, who has not competed since the 2009 New York Marathon, has set her sights on the 10km run to launch her 2012 preparations.
It was in Manchester that the 37-year-old won her first major championship track title, with a stunning run in the 5,000 metres at the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
“Starting my comeback with a 10km race is ideal as I build up later in the year to achieving the marathon standard,” she said.
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“Of course I have fond memories of Manchester, where I won the Commonwealth 5,000m gold medal. At the time it was a British record and I will never forget the buzz from the crowd in the stadium. It was a marvellous day. It will be great to return,” she added.
Radcliffe, the current world road running 10km record holder, took 15 months out to give birth to her second child in September and has been undergoing high-altitude training in New Mexico since mid-January.
In a statement, she said: “I deliberately returned slowly to training after Raphael was born and everything, apart from being bitten by a dog whilst training in Monaco at the beginning of the year, has gone pretty well.”
The GB distance runner is expected to take part in a marathon later in the year, with her eyes firmly set on achieving the qualifying standard for the London Olympics.
“I’m confident of what I have to achieve in the build-up to London 2012,” she added.
The elite women’s field for the Manchester race will also include British star Helen Clitheroe, winner of the 3,00m at the recent European Indoor Championships in Paris.
Emma Paton, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
