FORMER OLYMPIC CHAMPION BALDINI TO HEAD TO SHEFFIELD FOR BUPA GREAT YORKSHIRE RUN

Former Olympic and European marathon gold medallist Stefano Baldini is heading for Sheffield and the Bupa Great Yorkshire Run on Sunday September 5.

The Italian winner of the 2004 Games gold is becoming a regular contestant on the Great Run circuit and is looking forward to the 10 kilometres race around the streets of Sheffield. Baldini, who competed at the Bupa Great North 10km road race in Sunderland last Sunday, was asked by organisers there whether he would be available for the fourth staging of the Bupa Great Yorkshire Run. "He said he would check his diary when returning home and rang on Tuesday to say that he would be delighted to come and race in Sheffield," said Peter Riley, the elite athletes manager for the event. Riley added: "Stefano's a wonderful man whose personality always shines out and we have found athletes from all of the different countries who come to our events look up to him and continually seek his advice. "Apart from Sunderland last weekend, he's also competed at the Bupa Great North Run on Tyneside, the Great Australian Run in Melbourne and the Bupa Great Manchester Run. "We're delighted such a legendary runner will now be coming to Sheffield and it is a tribute to the quality of the meeting that someone with his world class background will be on the start line." Baldini is the first big signing for the race which a year ago was won by Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya's Olympic 5000m silver medallist and former world champion. "More names are pencilled in but at the moment the track season is still in full swing and although I have options lined up, they still need to be confirmed," said Riley. "But it's looking good and I'm hoping to complete some top signings, particularly after the European Championships which begin next week, are finished. "Athletes will then have a clearer picture to consider their options and stay on the track or move on to the roads." Entries are open for the Bupa Great Yorkshire Run at www.greatrun.org with up to 10,000 runners expected to take part. ends Editors Notes Bupa Great Yorkshire Run The Bupa Great Yorkshire Run is brought to you by a partnership between Yorkshire Forward, Sheffield City Council and Nova International, event organisers, and is sponsored by leading international healthcare company, 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 Bupa 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 has established themselves as a market leader in the world of sports marketing and event management. For more information please visit www.greatrun.org. About Bupa Bupa’s purpose is to help people lead longer, healthier, happier lives. A leading international healthcare group, we offer personal and company health insurance, run care homes for older people and hospitals, and provide workplace health services, health assessments and chronic disease management services, including health coaching, and home healthcare. With no shareholders, we invest our profits to provide more and better healthcare. We are committed to making quality, patient-centred, affordable healthcare more accessible in the areas of wellness, chronic disease management and ageing. Employing over 50,000 people, Bupa has operations around the world, principally in the UK, Australia, Spain, New Zealand and the USA, as well as Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, India, China and across Latin America. For more information, visit www.bupa.com. Alzheimer’s Society Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland are calling for runners to support them in one of the 2010 Bupa Great Runs across the country. For further details visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/greatrun or telephone 0870 417 0192. Runners in Scotland can visit www.alzscot.org or telephone 0845 260 0789.

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