Hawkins And Tewelde To Battle Kipsiro In Scotland
Time is running out to join the elites on the start line as half marathon entries close on Monday, September 19. For more information and to enter the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run visit www.greatscottishrun.com
CALLUM Hawkins and Tsegai Tewelde will go head to head in a bid to become the first Scottish man to win the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run half marathon.
No Scottish male has crossed the line first since the half marathon was first staged in 1991, but with the resurgence in Scottish distance running in full swing, hopes are high that there will be a local hero in the 2016 event.
Hawkins and Tewelde are at the forefront of Scotland’s recent success over the longer distance, having represented Great Britain in the marathon at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer.
Hawkins finished second to Moses Kipsiro in last year’s event and will be aiming for Scottish honours once more in the 13.1mile race through the city centre of Glasgow on Sunday, October 2.
The 24-year-old went on to finish eighth in April’s London Marathon and first Briton, securing automatic selection to Team GB along with Tewelde who was second Briton.
Tewelde’s Olympic selection completed a remarkable rise for the 26-year-old, having settled in Scotland to escape military conscription in his native Eritrea. Tewelde almost died when he was blown up by a land mine aged eight and settled in Glasgow after taking part in the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh in 2008.
Andrew Lemoncello will return to his homeland in Scotland’s largest mass participation running event. The Stirling University graduate, from Fife, now lives and trains in America but will complete a trio of Scottish talent determined to take the honours over 13.1miles.
Lemoncello’s 61.52 personal best is quicker than that of Hawkins and Tewelde, but it was set in 2009 – the 33-year-old has his work cut out against the new breed of Scottish distance runners.
Kipsiro will be the man for the Brits to beat in Glasgow – the Ugandan Commonwealth 10,000m champion returns to Scotland to defend his Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run having taken victory, clocking 62.18 last year.
Also confirmed is Chris Thompson, the European 10,000m silver medallist, who posted a creditable seventh place at the Great North Run half marathon last weekend.
Triple Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba was announced in the women’s field earlier this week, taking on Betsy Saina, who finished fifth in the Olympic 10,000m this summer.
Taking place on Sunday, October 2, the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run incorporates both a 10k and half marathon route that takes runners through some of Glasgow’s best-known streets.
Starting at George Square in the heart of Glasgow, the course sees runners follow the iconic 10k and half marathon routes through the city before they enter Glasgow Green and reach the tree-lined finish straight in the shadow of Nelson’s Monument, with the action captured live on BBC Two Scotland.
The day before the event, Saturday, October 1, also sees the popular Super Saturday returning to the city with a Toddler Dash, Family Mile and Junior Run.
The event enjoyed a record-breaking number of entries in 2015, with more than 30,000 people taking part across the weekend.
Time is running out to join the elites on the start line as half marathon entries close on Monday, September 19. For more information and to enter the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run visit www.greatscottishrun.com
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