Posted: May 11, 2005

Athletics: De La Ossa, Prokopcuka Top The Bill At BUPA Great Manchester Run

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

Spaniard Juan Carlos de la Ossa and Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, the surprise winners at last weekend's BUPA Great Caledonian Run, will aim to keep their U.K. road race momentum going at the BUPA Great Manchester Run on Sunday, May 22.

Last weekend in Edinburgh, the European pair notched upset victories in the Scottish capital, an unusual feat in road races. De la Ossa, who lowered his 10,000 meter personal best on the track to 27:27.80 at last month's European Cup 10,000m, defeated Ugandan Boniface Kiprop by two seconds in 28:22 last weekend. Prokopcuka, seventh in the 10,000 at last summer's Olympic Games, defeated two-time Olympic champion Derartu Tulu in Edinburgh in 32:42, 12 seconds ahead of the Ethiopian. In January's Osaka International Ladies Marathon, the 28-year-old Latvian clocked a personal best and national record 2:22:56 to claim her first marathon win.

Prokopcuka, who arrived in Edinburgh last week under the impression that the Scottish race was a five kilometer contest, will face a tougher challenge in Manchester, where she'll face Isabella Ochichi and Lornah Kiplagat.

Other entries in the men's race have yet to be announced.