It will be a step into new territory in more ways than one when Sonia O'Sullivan lines up for the Great North Run in Newcastle tomorrow. Most obviously as it is her first serious competitive outing since giving birth to daughter Ciara last July, and also in taking on a quality field that she has not yet experienced over the half-marathon distance.
This time last year, O'Sullivan breezed to victory in her debut over the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields, looking extremely comfortable when finishing in 71 minutes 50 seconds and concluding a season which had added double World and European titles to her list of honours. That also marked the start of her extended absence from the sport before Ciara was born on July 10th. A little over a week later she was edging back into full training.
Just how sufficient her preparations over the past couple of months will be for tomorrow's race is uncertain. O'Sullivan has stated that her current training level is "back to normal" although the race itself is likely to be the first real indication of how things have progressed since the summer.
"I feel that every week I've improved quite a lot," she says. "That's what allows me to think that I can run okay here. I'm confident that I can compete as well as I did last year, but whether it's good enough we'll have to wait and see."
According to her coach Alan Storey, training has gone as well as expected and she has returned to fitness as quickly as possible. "I couldn't expect her to be running any better at this stage," he says. "She's pleased and I'm impressed, but there's no textbook on how elite athletes return from pregnancy. She's had a few races for the club and they've gone well but it would be wrong to see this as the race to gauge her return. It just happens to be this weekend and because she won there last year it was always the plan to go back."
There was much talk during her pregnancy as to the possible benefits experienced by female runners when they return to competition after giving birth. Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway won the Houston Marathon in 1983 just five months after having a baby son. Two years later she broke the world record. But the after-effects of birth can influence athletic performance in a variety of ways.
What is certain is that unlike last year's race, O'Sullivan won't have things all her own way. Admitting herself that the competition is far superior, the big challenge is set to come from Tegla Loroupe of Kenya, who sliced four seconds off her world best mark when winning the Berlin Marathon in two hours 20 minutes and 43 seconds a fortnight ago and captured her third successive world half-marathon title in Palermo last Sunday.
Fellow Kenyan and reigning London Marathon champion Joyce Chepchumba is also a likely contender. She finished fifth in Palermo last weekend and is using this race in her build-up to the Chicago marathon later this month where she'll face Catherina McKiernan. Last year's runner-up to O'Sullivan and current European marathon champion Manuela Machado of Portugal is also returning while another Kenyan, Esther Kiplagat, a close second to Liz McColgan in 1996, is a late addition to field.
The big local interest will centre on Paula Radcliffe who carries British hopes despite making her debut over the half-marathon distance. Radcliffe finally got the track medal she deserved when taking silver over 10,000 metres at the World Championships in August, one place ahead of Loroupe, and is sure to bring that confidence into this race.
Defending champion in the men's race is Olympic marathon champion Josiah Thugwane of South Africa and he's favourite to retain his title.
With somewhere over 40,000 runners due to start, the Great North Run is now the world's biggest half-marathon. But it's far from the biggest test facing O'Sullivan in the year ahead.
(TV: BBC1 9.30 a.m.-12.00 p.m.)
