Gete Wami wins Great Women Run in Sunderland

Gete Wami at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
© Victah Sailer

Former World 10000 metres champion  Gete Wami this morning defied the cold and wet conditions  to win the inaugural Great Women's Race in in Sunderland. Wami emerged a comfortable winner after taking control of the 10K contest with two kilometres remaining, ahead of Portugal's Analiasa Rosa and fellow Ethiopian Elfenesh Alemu.

Wami 31, who after the birth of her daughter Eva in August 2003, has made a full-time return to athletics, now sees her future lying over the marathon distance. Today the former world cross country champion and arch-rival in the past of Paula Radcliffe, showed she still possesses the tactical ability to win over shorter distances. Wami always intending to follow the pace, broke-up the field with a devastating turn of speed after seven-and-half kilometres, before comfortably pulling ahead of her rivals.

Her winning time over two minutes slower than she ran when setting a personal best in last month's BUPA Great Manchester Run, was an unexceptional 33: 43 minutes. But the weather and a very tough course which included a stretch of Roker beach and along Sunderland's totally exposed pier, was a severe obstacle.

"Everything went to plan although originally I was intending to wait until the last kilometre to make my move," said Wami, who pulled away for a 10-seconds victory ahead of Rosa with Alemu clocking 33:58. "It was a hard race but given the weather conditions a good victory to have," added Wami, planning to target the Berlin marathon in September.  

Commonwealth marathon bronze medallist Liz Yelling was first Briton home having gamely stayed withe pace until Wami's breakaway. "She really put the boot in going up a steep hill and it hurt," said Yelling who was always in the leading group until that point. "But I am more than happy with the performance and found the even pace to my advantage until she broke away," added Yelling, yet to confirm whether she will compete in August's European Championships marathon.

Sonia O'Sullivan just back from a hamstring injury, is also uncertain whether she will challenge for an Irish place at the Championships which begin in Gothenburg in six weeks time.

"I'm back running 100 miles a week but at the moment I just don't know," said O'Sullivan the 1998 double gold medallist over 5000m and 10000m. "At the moment it just seems to a little too close and I suppose you could say, it is also a little bit to far away," added Ireland's greatest-ever sportswoman.

Leading Results:

G Wami (Ethiopia) 33:43

A Rosa (Portugal) 33:53

E Alemu (Ethiopia) 33:58

L Yelling (Great Britain) 34:04

DAVE MARTIN