Radcliffe Set Fair for Track Comeback

Paula Radcliffe is hoping to get her Olympic ambitions back on target by competing in her first race on the track in Britain since she won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Manchester two years ago.

The Bedford runner, bedevilled by injury and illness during the last year, is to run a 10,000-metre race specially arranged for her at the Norwich Union British grand prix in Gateshead on June 27.

Her major target is to run the Olympic qualifying time of 31min 45sec but victory over a field expected to include Ethiopia's Gete Wami would be a morale booster less than two months before she runs in the marathon in Athens.

Radcliffe has stressed the 26.2-mile race remains her priority in the Greek capital, where she will line up as favourite, but she wants to be selected for the 10,000m as a back-up.

It is unlikely that she would attempt to do both because the track race is due to be held after the marathon. "I intended to be selected for both races at the Olympics but I'm focused on the marathon," said Radcliffe.

Radcliffe is the second fastest 10,000m female runner in history after she timed 30:01.09 in her last race over the distance nearly two years ago when she won the European title in Munich. That was her last track race.

She was favourite to win the world championship 10,000m in Paris last August but was withdrawn after her build-up was hampered by bronchitis and injury. She also had to pull out of the world cross-country championships in Brussels two months ago because of a hamstring injury.

It means Radcliffe has not raced since February, when she was beaten by Lornah Kiplagat over 10 kilometres at a road race in Puerto Rico. She blamed her poor showing in San Juan on a virus.

"I'm back in full training and very happy with the way things are going," said Radcliffe. "My focus is on Athens and everything I do between now and then will be geared towards being successful there."

Radcliffe's presence in Gateshead is sure to be a boost for the venue, whose future as a location for televised events has been under threat in recent years due to poor ticket sales.

It would be a major embarrassment for the north-east, which has a reputation for distance running, if all 12,000 tickets for the meeting were not sold.