Commonwealth 5000 metres silver medallist Jo Pavey plans to use the Bupa Great Manchester Run as part of her preparations for the Olympic Games.

Pavey believes the 10 kilometres road race taking place on May 18 offers a perfect test as she prepares for Beijing in August.

She is currently warm weather training in Dullstroom, South Africa and will come down from altitude several days before the Manchester race.

The 34-year-old Olympic 10000m medal hopeful later this summer, travelled there after she finished runner-up in the recent Great Ireland Run in Dublin.

There Pavey narrowly lost over 10km to Kenya's Doris Changeywo but was happy with her time of 32minutes 22seconds over a tough course and held in windy conditions.

Pavey said: "Doris was obviously in good shape given her fourth position at the World Cross Country the previous weekend.

"It was nice to be back racing at that level and the result showed how road races over 10 kilometres, the distance I will run in Beijing, are good preparation events."

Pavey returns to the venue where in last year's contest she won a thriller just ahead of Aniko Kalovics.

The Hungary star is herself returning in a field which will include Kenya's Catherine Ndereba who regained the World Championships marathon title from Paula Radcliffe last summer.

Andy Caine, elite athletes manager for the event, plans to announce the men's field early next week after completing negotiations with agents at last weekend's Flora London Marathon.

"There are some big names lined up and I'm sure the race will again reflect on the superb competitions we've had in the past few years," he said.

The legendary Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie set a UK All-Comers' record of 27min 25secs at Manchester in 2005 while last year Micah Kogo from Kenya lowered it by four seconds.

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