Story added: 23rd July 2018

The favourites for race victory at Run Norwich 2018

While Run Norwich is, at its core, a community run that celebrates all backgrounds and athletic abilities, it is nonetheless still a race – and every race needs a winner.

With no shortage of talented athletes entering this year, it proved a difficult task to compile a shortlist of those that could challenge for silverware this time out, but here are our top picks:

Men’s race

RAF/Cardiff ACC’s Michael Kallenberg (1st #RN17) set a course record (31:12) with victory last year, and he’ll be back to defend his trophy this time out.

However, a stress-fracture suffered in February while racing in the Armagh 5k, and a subsequent long spell on the sidelines, means Kallenberg will be hard pressed to break his course record.

Furthermore, two-time champ Nick Earl (1st #RN15; 1st #RN16) will be back in contention, following a year absence.  Born and bred in Norwich, but based in Australia, City Of Norwich Athletic Club’s (CONAC) Earl has set the fastest 10km time this year of all the 7,000 entrants, with a sub-thirty time at the Run the Bridge 10k in Hobart, Australia.

He’ll be in the country for race day, and will be considered the favourite for Run Norwich 2018 race glory. 

Challenging Earl and Kallenberg will be last year’s second placed finisher Ash Harrell (2nd #RN17).  The CONAC-er has been in fantastic form this year, notching up victories at the Humpty Dumpty 10k (31:50, a course record) and the City of Norwich Half Marathon (69:54).

Adrian Mussett (3rd #RN15; 3rd #RN17) has run a 10k best of 32:42 this year in Colchester, and the veteran will hope to place on the podium for a third time. Last year’s fourth placed finisher Michael Eccles could also be in contention if he recovers in time from an injury sustained during the Lord Mayor’s 5k race in July. Piers Arnold’s (2nd #RN16) honeymoon (congrats!) clashes with the race this year, so he is a non-starter. 

Women’s race

In the women’s race, Emma Risbey – now representing CONAC – will be racing to defend her trophy, which she won with a time of 37:21 in 2017. Her fastest 10k of the year is twenty-seconds shy of that, which she set at the Mike Groves 10k in June.

It is fellow club member Danielle Nimmock (3rd #RN15) though, who many will tip for the women’s race top spot. 

Following a two year absence, she’ll be running the current iteration of the course for the first time. Her times since her debut in 2015 have tumbled, and her current 10k race times put her as the fastest female entrant. This year, she has won the Greater Manchester Marathon (2:38:22), the Humpty Dumpty 10k (35:14) and also recorded a yearly best 10k time of 33:44 at the Telford 10k in January.

Jo Andrews (3rd #RN17) looks in the running to place on the podium for a second successive year, with Sarah Stradling (2nd #RN15 & #RN17) an absentee this year. Another notable absentee is two-time winner Tracy Barlow (1st #RN15, 1st #RN16), who will be racing for Britain at the European Championships in Berlin over the Run Norwich race weekend. 

Alexandra Smith and Cat Cummings (both Wymondham AC) will push the front-runners as they both aim for a first podium finish.

Bib numbers (selected)

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