Course record-holder to join Britain’s Gemma Steel and Jo Pavey in Glasgow

Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat is set to return to Glasgow to defend her Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run on October 4.

The Kenyan is to form part of an elite women’s half-marathon field also including athletes such as Britain’s Gemma Steel and Jo Pavey.

Steel has established herself as a leading British road runner over the past couple of years, a reputation underlined in the Great North Run on Sunday when she finished as runner-up to Kenya’s Mary Keitany for the second successive year.

The European cross-country champion will face a tough challenge in Glasgow if Kiplagat repeats the sort of form she produced in the 2014 race. The 35-year-old, who won last year’s London Marathon, finished a clear victor in 67:57, breaking Joyce Chepchumba’s 14-year-old course record by 55 seconds.

“It’s one of the best courses I’ve run on,” said Kiplagat. “It’s mostly flat but with some small hills. That’s a good combination.”

The elite men’s field features Kenya’s marathon world record-holder Dennis Kimetto, while Ethiopian long-distance legend Haile Gebrselassie is to bid his competitive running career farewell in the 10km city centre race earlier in the day.

Entry for both the 10km and half-marathon is available via www.greatscottishrun.com.