AUGUSTO TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST FORMER CHAMPIONS ADERE AND CHEPKEMEI IN BUPA 30TH GREAT NORTH RUN

Jessica Augusto will return next month for the Bupa 30th Great North Run determined she can repeat last year's victory where she ran away from her rivals.

Augusto makes no secret it was the biggest success of her career as she pulled well clear of the field after five miles to become the first Portugese champion since the legendary Rosa Mota in 1990. The 28-year-old, who placed third in the European Championships 10000 metres event last week in Barcelona, is now switching her attention away from track racing to prepare for the World's biggest half marathon on September 19. "Obviously after winning the race last year I will be aiming for another win," said Augusto, who posted a personal best of 69 minutes 08 ahead of Ethiopia's former world champion Berhane Adere and Ana Dulce Felix also of Portugal. "My win a year ago was the biggest of my career. Now I've had a good summer's track season and the speed I have built up will also help me," added the former European Cross Country silver medallist. Augusto will line up again against Adere, the 2006 champion while Kenya's Susan Chepkemei, runner up on that occasion and the race winner in 2001, is also returning for the "Tyneside Classic." "It's great to see all three women back for the event and I'm sure Adere will not make the tactical mistake of the 2009 race when she allowed Augusto to get too far ahead and paid the penalty," said Peter Riley, the meeting's elite athletes manager. Riley added: "I know all three are in good shape and now I'm just awaiting a few more final confirmations which will make the field even stronger. I'm sure a great race is on the cards." The men's race will feature a clash between the world's greatest ever distance runner Haile Gebrselassie - the Ethiopian is making his first Bupa Great North Run appearance - and American Dathan Ritzenhein who finished third four years ago. Ends For further information call nicola.hedley@nova-international.com 0191 2263231 Editors notes Nova International The Bupa Great North Run is brought to you event organisers Nova International and is sponsored by Bupa. Nova International, headed by Olympic Medallist Brendan Foster is one of the UK’s leading event management and sports marketing agencies. The company’s current brand portfolio also includes some of the biggest running events in the world all based on the Great North Run, the world’s biggest event with over 54,000 entries. Nova International was established in 1988 and has a strong sporting pedigree. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Nova have established themselves as a market leader in the world of sports marketing and event management. For more information please visit www.greatrun.org. In The Long Run… 30 Years of the Great North Run Celebrating the 30th staging of the Bupa Great North Run, this major new exhibition explores this enormously popular event. In The Long Run… 30 Years of the Great North Run looks at the significant role this event has played in reflecting and shaping the region's cultural identity. As well as the well known stories of elite runners, In The Long Run will also explore the huge organisational effort behind the Bupa Great North Run, documenting the event’s community spirit and creating a powerful piece of social history. Alongside interactive exhibits, memorabilia and star objects, In The Long Run will present artwork from the archives of Bupa Great North Run Culture and new commissions will be presented by Sir Peter Blake and Claire Leona Apps. Bupa Bupa is a leading international healthcare company. Established in 1947, it has over ten million customers in more than 190 countries and employs over 52,000 people around the world. Its main interests are health insurance, care homes for young disabled and older people, workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services, including health coaching and healthcare services in the home. While Bupa’s largest and original business is in the UK, it has significant operations around the world including Sanitas in Spain, MBF, HBA, Mutual Community in Australia, IHI in Denmark and Health Dialog in the US. Bupa also has businesses in Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India, China and Latin America. In addition, Bupa Care Services owns care homes in Spain, Australia and New Zealand. Bupa has no shareholders. We reinvest our money to provide better healthcare for our customers, helping them to live longer, happier, healthier lives.

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