Wrekin Road Runner Paul Ward will be lining up with some of the world’s top athletes when he competes in the London 10k this Bank Holiday weekend.
Ward received an invitation to join the elite runners in Monday’s race after running a sub 32 minute 10k recently.
He will be joining the likes of Mo Farah and Chris Thompson, the best current 10k British runners, as well as a number of star competitors from Kenya.
“There will be a few superstars running, namely Mo Farah and Chris Thompson, plus Micah Kogo from Kenya, the current world record holder for 10k on the road – so I won’t feature in the leading group!” said Paul. “Indeed, it will be an almighty achievement if I manage to finish in front of the first woman, expected to be Linet Masai of Kenya.
“The course takes in lots of the sights – London Eye, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s, Nelson’s Column and Buckingham Palace – and will follow the same route to be used for part of the Olympic Marathons in 2012.
“There are 13,000 entrants in the race, but one of the privileges of an elite entry is that you get to line up at the front with the superstars. I’m just about getting into some decent form after having training hampered by a niggly foot injury since January, and I hope break my PB of 31:57, or at least give it a good go. Hopefully I stand a decent chance of being first ‘old un’, being a veteran.”
Ward, 43, has represented England twice in international cross country events, in the over 35s and over-40s teams.
And on a local level, ‘Whizzo’ has claimed victory five times in Telford’s sexarathon race series.