DIBABA’S DOMINATION

DISTANCE GREAT LEADS ETHIOPIAN 1-2, AS IT’S CHRIS THOMPSON’S TURN FOR THE WIN OVER ANDY VERNON

GREAT SOUTH RUN

REPORT: JESSICA WHITTINGTON

PICTURES: MARK SHEARMAN

The elite women kick off the Great South Run

TIRUNESH DIBABA had been hoping for a strong result to end her racing year on a high note and on a sunny but blustery morning the Ethiopian distance running great signed off for 2016 with a dominant win.

The three-time Olympic gold medallist headlined a weekend which saw 25,000 runners take to the roads of Portsmouth and South sea for four different events – the 10-mile run preceded by a 5km plus Junior and Mini Great South Run events the day before.

Under bright blue skies and with the wind behind runners for the final two-mile stretch along the seafront rather than the more usual headwind, Dibaba led an Ethiopian one-two on her 10-mile debut. She clocked 51:49 for victory, while Chris Thompson became the first British winner of the men’s race since Mo Farah in 2009 after running 47:23 to beat Andy Vernon in a battle of the Brits.

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WOMEN

After securing victory at the Great Manchester Run in May on her comeback following the birth of her first child, Dibaba went on to add 10,000m bronze in Rio to her collection of Olympic medals.

A third-place finish at the Great North Run half-marathon followed as she switched her sights from the track to the road and, after being forced to withdraw from the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run earlier this month because of a calf strain, the 31-year-old was keen for success in her last race of 2016.

Dibaba made her intentions clear from the start as she began to create a gap over the field in the early stages, with her fellow Ethiopian Senbere Teferi, the world 5000m silver medallist who finished fifth at the Rio Olympics, for company. Italy’s European half-marathon silver medallist Veronica Inglese and Elizeba Cherono of Netherlands were close behind.

The Ethiopians soon moved ahead and were together until 10km, which was passed in 32:37, when Dibaba began to pull away as Teferi struggled with a stitch. From there Dibaba was never challenged.