Callum Hawkins will bid to become the first British man to win the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run, a race which has been given a five-star certification rating by European Athletics Running for All, when he takes on the 10km distance on 28 May.
Now in its fifteenth year, Hawkins will make his debut on Deansgate as part of his build-up to the World Championships on home soil in London where he will contest the marathon.
“I'm looking forward to Manchester as I build on my preparations towards the World Championships in London. Ten kilometres is a distance I don't get the chance to race much and my time is certainly due a revision,” said Hawkins, who finished ninth in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro last August.
Hawkins’ official lifetime best stands at 29:19 but the 24-year-old covered the 10-20km segment in the New York Half Marathon earlier this month in 28:12 en route to a second-place finish in 60:08. He also won the Marugame Half Marathon in February in 60:00.
Hawkins is in excellent form but he is expecting a tough challenge in a race which has been graced by some of the all-great distance running greats over the years, including Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie, Paul Tergat and Wilson Kipsang.
“Of course a win would be great in a home race like this but I'm sure there will be some quality international athletes too. One thing is for certain - I'll put everything on the line come Sunday 28 May,” he said.
Callum Hawkins will aim to become the first British man to win the Great Manchester Run when he lines up in the annual 10km on 28 May. pic.twitter.com/jv9h9C6lb9
— Running for All (@runningforall) March 28, 2017
The Great Manchester Run is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary by adding a half marathon to the programme which is expected to attract 8500 runners. The event also welcomed its 300,000th finisher last year which was highlighted by elite wins for Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba.
While the half marathon is sold out, there is still time to join Hawkins on the start-line of the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10K. To enter, click here.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]